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Seattle Mariners

Mariners lay egg in first game back from All-Star break

Seattle Mariners' shortstop Ketel Marte has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)
By Bob Dutton Tacoma News Tribune

SEATTLE – That kick-start the Mariners were seeking Friday when they returned from a four-day break for the All-Star Game turned instead into a kick in the pants. Their pants.

Houston opened the game with a homer by George Springer against James Paxton and struck for five more runs in the fifth inning in rolling to a 7-3 victory over the Mariners at Safeco Field.

The Astros built a 6-0 lead before the Mariners stirred to life.

It’s not as if the Mariners don’t know this, but they’ve now lost five in a row to the Astros, which is a tough way to make up ground in the American League West Division race.

Paxton (2-4) gave up six runs in five innings, along with three costly wild pitches, while Houston starter Doug Fister, a one-time Mariner, allowed three runs in five innings before the Astros turned to their bullpen.

Marwin Gonzalez’s two-out homer in the seventh inning against Tom Wilhelmsen extended the Astros lead to 7-3.

Michael Feliz. Ken Giles, Luke Gregerson and Chris Devenski closed out the victory by each pitching a scoreless inning.

The loss dropped the Mariners back to .500 at 45-45 and kept them 8 1/2 games behind first-place Texas. The Astros are within 4 1/2 games of the Rangers.

It didn’t start well.

The Mariners opened their postbreak schedule with Paxton serving up the leadoff homer to Springer. It was still 1-0 when Houston opened the third with singles by Jake Marisnick and Jason Castro.

Springer then hit a potential double-play grounder to short, but Ketel Marte bobbled the ball and settled for a force at second. Paxton escaped when Gonzalez hit into a 5-4-3 double play.

Marte’s two-out drive in the third over the head of center fielder Carlos Gomez turned into an out at third when Gomez made a phenomenal throw from deep center. Marte also suffered a sprained right ankle on the play.

The Astros opened the fourth inning with singles by Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa but, again, Paxton got a double-play grounder and worked out of the threat.

Everything changed in the fifth.

Instead of double plays, Houston opened the inning with doubles from Evan Gattis and Marisnick, which pushed the lead to 2-0. Marisnick moved to third on Castro’s grounder to first.

Shawn O’Malley, who replaced Marte, saved a run by throwing out Marisnick at the plate after fielding Springer’s grounder before everything fell apart for Paxton and the Mariners.

After a single, a wild pitch and an intentional walk loaded the bases, another wild pitch scored Springer before Correa drove a two-run double into the left-center gap.

A two-base wild pitch scored Correa from second. That quickly, the Mariners were in a 6-0 hole.

But Fister, after rolling through four innings, found trouble in the Mariners’ fifth. Dae-Ho Lee’s one-out double ignited a three-run answer, which included a two-run double by O’Malley.

The Mariners even got the tying run to the plate with two outs, but Fister retired Robinson Cano on a squibber back to the mound.

Hernandez due back next week

According to multiple reports, the Mariners are targeted Felix Hernandez to be the starting pitcher against the White Sox in Chicago on Wednesday. Hernandez is working his way back from a strain to his right calf that has kept him sidelined since May 28.

He made a rehab start Friday night for the Tacoma Rainiers. In 5 2/3 innings of work, he allowed a run on five hits, striking out seven batters and allowing one walk. Three hits went for extra bases.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Houston’s Carlos Gomez, a former Gold Glove recipient, threw out Ketel Marte from deep center field for the final out in the third inning.

Marte sent a drive over Gomez’s head, which appeared to be an easy triple, but Gomez made a terrific throw to third. Marte helped out by going into a pop-up slide, which brought his his head into contact with the ball.

While Marte was initially called safe, Houston challenged – and the replay clearly showed third baseman Luis Valbuena applied the tag before Marte reached the base.

Worse, Marte suffered a mild right ankle sprain on the slide and left the game. He took the field in the top of the fourth but exited with a limp before James Paxton’s first pitch. Shawn O’Malley replaced Marte.

Club officials characterized Marte’s status as day-to-day.

STAT PACK: Kyle Seager’s one-out single in the second extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest this season by a Mariner. His single in the sixth gave him multiple hits in 10 of his last 17 games.