Seattle Mariners fall to Houston Astros after building 5-0 lead
SEATTLE – Jose Altuve hit three singles and drew two walks, helping the Houston Astros overcome an early five-run deficit and rally past the Seattle Mariners 10-5 on Wednesday night.
Four Houston relievers combined for five scoreless innings after starter Mike Fiers got knocked around. Tony Sipp, Brad Peacock (2-0), Luke Gregerson and Jandel Gustave allowed just three hits.
Carlos Beltran drove in three runs for Houston, which trailed 5-0 after three innings. The Astros scored three times in the seventh off Dan Altavilla (1-1) for a 6-5 lead, with Alex Bregman’s RBI double putting them ahead.
The Astros scored three times in the seventh off Dan Altavilla (1-1) for a 6-5 lead, with Alex Bregman’s RBI double putting them ahead. Carlos Correa capped the comeback by scoring on a wild pitch.
Houston added three more in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Josh Reddick and two-run double by Beltran.
Fiers lasted just four innings, allowing five runs and six hits.
The Mariners scored twice in the first and then made it 3-0 when Mike Freeman, called up from Triple-A on Tuesday, opened the second with his first homer.
Seattle extended the lead to 5-0 in the third on Taylor Motter’s first homer, a two-run shot.
Mariners starter Yovani Gallardo walked three in the fourth to begin Houston’s rally. Reddick and Altuve opened with consecutive walks and Correa singled to load the bases. Gallardo struck out Beltran and Bregman before walking Brian McCann to force in a run.
Yuli Gurriel followed with an RBI single up the middle, but second baseman Robinson Cano made a diving stop on the grass and flipped the ball home, catching Correa off third, and he was tagged out in a rundown to end the inning.
Up next
Astros: After an off day, Dallas Keuchel (1-0, 0.64) opens a three-game series at Oakland. The left-hander has allowed one run on four hits in 14 innings in his first two starts. Keuchel is 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA in his last nine starts against the A’s.
Mariners: Felix Hernandez (0-1, 4.09) makes his third start of the season on Friday to open a three-game series at home against Texas. Hernandez is 18-23 in his career against the Rangers, including 11-12 with 3.69 ERA in 27 home starts.
Trainer’s room
Mariners: RHP Tony Zych, who began the season on the 10-day DL while recovering from biceps surgery late season, moved one step closer to returning. “He threw a simulated game today and threw the ball very well,” manager Scott Servais said. … RHP Steve Cishek, on the 10-day DL (hip surgery), also continues to progress. “He’s getting really close to going out on a rehab assignment. I would think probably in the next four or five days,” Servais said.
Roster moves
The need to activate Triple-A Tacoma outfielder Boog Powell from the restricted list prompted the Mariners to make a series of corresponding roster moves.
The Mariners cleared space on their 40-man roster by removing reliever Casey Fien, who was sent to Tacoma on an outright assignment after clearing waivers. Fien has the option of rejecting the assignment and becoming a free agent.
To replace Fien on the 25-man active roster, the Mariners recalled right-handed reliever Evan Marshall from Tacoma. Marshall, 26, made one appearance for the Rainiers after being acquired April 4 from Arizona in a waiver claim.
“(Marshall) does it a little different from some of the other guys we have,” manager Scott Servais said.” He’s more of a sinkerball-type guy with a good breaking ball.”
The Mariners needed to act regarding Powell, who completed an 80-game suspension Tuesday imposed last June for failing a drug test. While on the restricted list, he did not count against the club’s 40-man roster limit.
Fien, 33, allowed seven runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings over five appearances. He signed with the Mariners on Dec. 3 as a free agent after splitting time last season with Minnesota and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Marshall was a fourth-round pick by Arizona in the 2011 MLB Draft who compiled a 2.74 ERA in 57 appearances as a rookie in 2014. He is 4-7 with a 4.50 ERA overall in 85 big-league games over parts of three seasons.
“When I got sent to Tacoma,” he said, “it had been a couple of weeks since I had been on the mound. We got rained out a bunch (at Sacramento), but that gave me the opportunity to throw some bullpens.
“Get down the hill and feel the ball coming out of my hand on the mound again. I had an appearance where I came into a game with some guys on base, and I was able to work a couple of strikeouts. I could see positive things velocity-wise.
“A day later, I get called in the office and told, `Hey, your one appearance was awesome. We’re going to send you up.’ I was high-fiving and hugs all around. And here I am.”
Powell batted .270 last season in 64 games at Tacoma prior to his suspension. He resurrected his status as a prospect this year in spring training by batting .577 (15 for 26) in 16 games.
“He’s made some adjustments in his swing and how he’s approaching it,” Servais said late in spring. “He is staying more aggressive. …When he’s going good, he’s continuing to stay aggressive.”