Mark Trumbo drives in 3, Mariners beat Astros

SEATTLE — Roenis Elias gave up home runs on his first and last pitches of the game. He was more than good enough in between. Elias settled down after the first-pitch home run, allowing four hits over seven-plus innings, and Mark Trumbo drove in three runs to pace the Seattle Mariners to a 5-2 victory over Houston on Friday night, ending the Astros’ five-game winning streak. “I think it probably ticked him off a little bit, the home run, and probably made him even more determined,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. “He did a nice job.” Elias (4-4), who had lost three of his previous four starts, gave up two runs — solo homers on his first and last pitches. He matched his career high with 10 strikeouts without a walk, but he hit two batters Mark Lowe finished the eighth and Carson Smith pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in five chances. “I thought he did a good job mixing in his secondary pitches,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of Ellis. “His breaking ball was really good, change was good, velocity was up a bit. Outside of his first pitch of the game and last pitch of the game, we couldn’t put a ton together.” Elias’ performance was in stark contrast to his last start, also against the Astros, when he gave up a career-high eight runs, seven earned, and seven hits with four walks in 3 1-3 innings. “I was more aggressive and had more command of all my pitches,” Elias said through a translator. Robinson Cano, who was a late scratch Thursday night with a stiff lower back, had three hits and reached on an error for the Mariners, while Nelson Cruz reached four times on two singles and two walks. “That’s the thing that we’ve been looking for,” Cano said. “We’re trying to be more consistent. That’s what we’re trying to do, to be more consistent. That’s what we need to do.” George Springer staked the Astros to a 1-0 lead, lining the first pitch over the wall in left field wall for his 11th home run, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games. The Mariners answered with two unearned runs in the bottom half, then added one in the third and two in the fifth, all charged to starter Lance McCullers (3-2) who allowed six hits and walked three in 4 1-3 innings. “I just think it wasn’t our night,” McCullers said. “A lot of things didn’t go our way. Especially, you know, in that situation, they are just hit in the right spots, not hard enough to turn two, so . it was frustrating all night.” Marwin Gonzalez opened the eighth with his fourth homer for the Astros’ other run. Seattle loaded the bases in the first on Logan Morrison’s opposite-field bloop single, a walk to Austin Jackson and an error by second baseman Gonzalez on Cano’s bouncer. Cruz then walked to force in a run and an RBI groundout by Trumbo, who had only one RBI in his first 12 games with Seattle. The Mariners increased the lead to 3-1 in the third on singles by Cano, Cruz and Trumbo. Seattle pushed across two more runs in the fifth on an RBI-single by Kyle Seager and another RBI groundout by Trumbo. “Not all those were the prettiest ways to get it done, but they’re every bit as effective at times,” Trumbo said. “Especially in that first case, all the credit goes to Nelson, getting a great jump off first and forcing them to take the one out and get the RBI. That’s the kind of teamwork that you look for.”

Upon further review

Seattle successfully challenged a first-inning call when Morrison was picked off first base following a leadoff single. The call by first base umpire Tripp Gibson III was overturned after a review estimated at 1:50.

Power outage

The Astros lost their first game when hitting multiple home runs this season. They had been 27-0.

Correa stopped

Houston rookie shortstop Carlos Correa, who was 0 for 4 with one strikeout, did not reach base for the first time in his 11-game career.

Trainer’s room

Astros: OF Jake Marisnick was placed on the 15-day DL with a left hamstring strain and OF Colby Rasmus was activated off the bereavement list. 2B Jose Altuve missed his second straight game with a sore right hamstring. “He’s day to day and today’s not the day,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said before the game. Mariners: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma, on the 15-day DL with a strained back muscle, is scheduled to make a three- to four-inning rehab start for Class A Everett on Saturday. “Three, four, we’ll see how it goes. 45 to 50 pitches,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. “If all goes well, I would anticipate him going to (Triple-A) Tacoma his next start.”

Up next

Astros: LHP Dallas Keuchel (8-2, 2.04 ERA) has gone at least six innings in 25 consecutive starts, the longest active streak in the majors. He has not faced the Mariners this season, but was 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA and 25 strikeouts in four starts against them last year. Mariners: RHP Taijuan Walker (4-6, 5.00 ERA) is 3-1 with a 1.55 ERA in his last four starts. He has walked only four in 29 innings in those four starts, after walking four in each start before his recent improved stretch.