SEATTLE – Many of the 26,839 folks at Safeco Field on Sunday had to be impressed with Houston Astros starter Dallas Keuchel, who pitched a complete game, allowed only four hits and retired 21 of the final 22 Mariners batters he faced in a 4-1 Houston victory. But Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon was not among the awestruck crowd, instead using another word to describe this performance by Keuchel, the tough lefty who improved his record to 6-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.55.

Lloyd McClendon sort of shrugged when asked about using rookie Stefen Romero as the designed hitter Friday. “Somebody’s gotta DH,” the Mariners manager said.