Seattle Mariners Swing For The Fences in 6-4 Win Against Houston Astros
SEATTLE — Everything that the Seattle Mariners have been wanting to do right, they did on Sunday's 6-4 win against the Houston Astros. There was the usual solid pitching, two players hit home runs, only three runners were left on base and the Mariners improved to 53-48 on the season.
"I thought our team played really hard today," Mariners manager Scott Servais said in a postgame interview Sunday. "We knew where we were at, we've been struggling, we're in a losing streak to a point we hadn't seen here in a couple years. ... Offensively... A lot of good at-bats up and down the lineup. Good to see, certainly, (to) keep the strikeouts in check today."
After the M's left a runner in scoring position in the first inning, things started to open up in the second.
Mariners left fielder Dylan Moore hit a two-run triple off the left field wall in the bottom of the second to put his team up 2-0. It didn't take long for the Astros to respond and Yordan Alvarez (who hit for the 10th cycle in team history) hit a solo home run to right field in the top of the fourth.
Dylan Moore drills a two-out, two-run triple. There's some clutch right there. #Mariners lead 2-0 B2 pic.twitter.com/7kNwFybYFA
— Josh Kirshenbaum (@J_Kirshenbaum) July 21, 2024
Seattle answered right back and second baseman Jorge Polanco hit a solo home run to right field to put the Mariners back up by two. It was Polanco's first home run since May 3 — also against Houston.
Polo solo homer! ☝️ pic.twitter.com/QTFIPHZIL3
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 21, 2024
But the win didn't come without any sacrifices for Seattle.
Alvarez hit an RBI triple in the top of the sixth to bring the Astros back within one. On the same play, Mariners' franchise star Julio Rodriguez collided with the wall going for a catch and immediately grabbed his ankle. He left the game and didn't return.
"Unbelievable effort (on the play) by Julio," Servais said. "Certainly we're all concerned where he's at. Initial x-rays are negative. He's got a little bit of an ankle sprain there. Right now, what I've been told, it's going to be day-to-day."
Luke Raley rewarded Rodriguez's efforts and hit a three-run home run to right field to put Seattle up 6-2. It was Raley's 11th home run of the year and snapped a six-game hitless streak.
Luuuuuuke! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/GHufnyW6jR
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 21, 2024
Houston nearly clawed its way back with a solo Jeremy Pena home run in the top of the seventh and a Chas McCormick RBI single one inning later. Those two knocks brought the score to the eventual final of 6-4.
Seattle's All-Star reliever Andres Munoz stopped the rally in the top of the ninth and struck out the Astros in order for his 16th save of the year.
The Mariners and Houston are now tied in the American League West standings. It will be a sprint in the second half of the season for the division crown.
That race will start Monday for the Mariners in the first of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels at 6:40 p.m. PT at T-Mobile Park. Bryce Miller will start on the mound. He'll go against Angels ace Tyler Anderson.
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