Astros left stargazing as Mariners win 2-0 shutout
By Bel Garcia, edited by Charles Hamaker
Houston, TX - The Seattle Mariners continue to inch closer to the playoffs with great defensive (most of the time) and pitching performances, at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Seattle’s starting pitcher and Texas native, Bryce Miller, allowed no runs in the shutout 2-0 win. With a Toronto Blue Jays loss to the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle now moves into third place in the AL Wild Card and take a one game series lead over the Houston Astros. It’s a big start to their series down in Houston, against an Astros team that the Mariners have been good against this year, even being able to escape a ninth inning that saw Seattle allow runners on the corners.
With just enough offense, the Mariners pulled ahead early and just had to hold on for the win. Seattle centerfielder Julio Rodriguez continued his torrid performance at the plate. Julio had recorded a hit in each of his last nine at-bats at one point, which is now tied for the Mariners franchise record. Teammate and right fielder Teoscar Hernandez also had a great effort on offense, recording three hits tonight. Unfortunately, those hits flew under the radar as they were part of the ten total runners that Seattle left on base, with the Mariners going a dreadful 0-17 with runners in scoring position.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller played well in his home state of Texas, in front of many friends and family (Photo by Mathew Bermudez)
Seattle starting pitcher Bryce Miller delivered an exceptional performance that set the tone for the game. His time on the mound came with precision, as he kept the Astros' powerful lineup at bay all night long. His night on the mound came to an end after 6.1 innings pitched, two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts with a total of 82 pitches. He was provided just enough offense and defense from his Seattle teammates, as well as the stops in the final innings from his bullpen.
The turning points of the game arrived in the third and sixth innings when the Mariners first gained and added to their lead. With J.P. France starting for the Astros on the mound, Julio stepped up to the plate and launched a home run to left field, a massive 414-foot shot. His impact persisted in the fifth inning, as he singled to center. In the seventh inning, he forced a fielding error by the Astros' shortstop, Jeremy Peña, allowing him to reach first safely. And in the ninth inning, he recorded another base hit on another infield single to third base, further adding to his impressive hitting performance. Designated hitter Mike Ford joined in on the scoring in the top of the sixth to increase the lead by one more run. He found some success on France’s curve ball; homering to right field.
The ninth inning was another display of Chaos ball for the Mariners, and perhaps not in the way that Seattle fans wanted. With the Mariners 2-0 lead, the Astros had one last and close chance at a comeback. After a couple of mistakes from the Mariners, the Astros were successful in getting two runners on base to keep things interesting. Astros third baseman Alex Bregman reached on a fielders choice, making it to second on a Munoz pitch that was just left of Cal Raleigh and rolled right past him. Bregman was followed by an error by Jose Caballero that allowed Yordan Alvarez to reach first. Seattle reliever Andres Munoz and the team pulled themselves out of that jam with a double-play, from Josh Rojas over at second base over to Ty France, to call it a game.
Julio Rodriguez has been a major portion of Seattle’s recent success on the road. In the last five games on this road, he has a .615 average, has gone 16 for 26 at the plate with two home runs, 12 RBI, and four multi-hit games. With a slow start to the season, the All-Star is heating up at the right time for this Mariners team. Seattle has won four of their last five games in Minute Maid Park against the Astros. A series lead with a shutout 2-0 win is a comfortable start, but if they continue to win the series they’ll receive a confidence boost against a team they’ll possibly see again if they make it to the playoffs.