Paxton, Gamel power Mariners to 4-1 win over Astros

HOUSTON – The signature moment Wednesday afternoon in the Mariners’ 4-1 victory over Houston was the throw by left fielder Guillermo Heredia in the eighth inning.

Everything else, and much of it was notable, was either build up or wind down. Appetizer and desert. Heredia’s play, more specifically his throw, was the main course.

“It was more reaction than it was a play,” Heredia said. “In that situation, you just have to react – especially off that wall. You take what you can get, and you have to make that play.”

Let’s set the stage.

James Paxton limited the Astros to one run in seven dominating innings, while the Mariners got a two-run homer from Ben Gamel and a two-out RBI double from Mike Zunino in building their three-run lead.

Nick Vincent replaced Paxton to start the eighth inning, and the Astros immediately stirred to life.

George Springer led off with an infield single but was thrown out at third in trying to advance on Jose Altuve’s line drive off the wall. Altuve took second on the throw.

Heredia played the carom perfectly and glanced briefly toward second before throwing a dart to third that nailed Springer.

“With the short porch in left field and how hard the ball was hit,” Heredia said, “I took a glance at where the runner was and then threw from there. I thought I had a chance. Fortunately, it worked out”.

The biggest compliments came from Heredia’s outfield teammates.

Center fielder Jarrod Dyson: “Everything was perfect, man. He didn’t go all the way into the wall because he knew it was coming off the wall. The bounce was perfect back to him, and he came up with the perfect throw.”

Gamel: “Unreal. What a play! They’re got those five-star catches or whatever they’re called. That was a five-star play. Springer can run. You have to be perfect, and he was.”

Vincent and Mariners weren’t yet out of trouble and actually, things initially got a little worse when Yuli Gurriel hit a soft grounder to short.

Jean Segura bounced the throw to first, and Danny Valencia couldn’t make the scoop. Segura’s error put runners at first and third with one out.

Here the bullpen stepped up.

Vincent struck out Evan Gattis, which then prompted the Mariners to summon lefty Marc Rzepczynski to turn switch-hitter Carlos Beltran to the right side.

Rzepczynski struck out Beltran.

That got the game to the ninth, and Edwin Diaz worked around a two-out walk for his fifth save in six days since the All-Star break. The Mariners won a series this season for the first time in four tries against the Astros.

“For us,” Zunino said, “coming out of the break and starting off like this is huge. We’re recharged. Everyone is all-in for this second-half push. Hopefully, we can keep this going and make a run at this thing.”

The Mariners also pulled back to .500 at 48-48 and find themselves just 1 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees in the race for the American League’s final wild-card berth.

The Yankees arrive Thursday at Safeco Field for a four-game series.

Paxton (9-3) allowed just six hits in seven innings while striking out seven and walking one. The Astros have been hard on just about everyone this year, but they have just one run in 20 innings against Paxton in three games.

“I just felt really good,” he said. “I was throwing the curveball for strikes, moving the fastball around, mixing in some cutters, too, a few changeups. Everything was just feeling really good.”

Houston starter Charlie Morton (7-4) retired the first nine Mariners before Segura started the fourth inning with a single. Gamel followed with a 361-foot homer to right.

“The first at-bat,” Gamel said, “I saw everything he had. He threw me a cutter, a curveball and a changeup. I was just looking for something elevated. I just got it and didn’t miss it.”

The Mariners scored single runs in the sixth on Robinson Cano’s ground out, and in the seventh on Zunino’s two-out RBI double. All of it came against Morton, who allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Heredia’s throw was clearly the game’s highlight, but Dyson saved at least one run by running down Gurriel’s deep line drive for the second out in the sixth inning.

Springer was on first after a leadoff single when Gurriel sent a drive over Dyson’s head. Dyson sprinted back and made the catch.

PLUS: Heredia also had a leadoff double in the sixth inning, which led to a run…Segura went 2 for 4 and raised his average to .346. He ranks second in the American League to Altuve, who is at .353 after going 2 for 4…the Mariners have won 27 of their last 46 games…Zunino threw out Altuve on an attempted steal of second base in the third inning.

MINUS: The middle core of Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager was a combined 0 for 11. Cano was hitless in three at-bats and has just one hit in his last 19 at-bats. His average is down to .266. Cruz is hitless in his last nine at-bats. Seager’s 0 for 4 snapped a 21-game streak at Minute Maid Park of reaching base at least once.

STAT PACK: Gamel’s homer in the fourth inning was his fifth of the season but his first since June 23.

QUOTABLE: “We talked about some things coming out of the break,” manager Scott Servais said. “About where we needed to get to, and how we were going to get there. The guys have responded.”

SHORT HOPS: Outfielder Mitch Haniger missed a fourth straight game because of a bruised right index finger. He suffered the injury Saturday while attempting to bunt…Astros shortstop Carlos Correa underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb. He is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks.

ON DECK: The Mariners return Thursday for the start of a 10-game homestand at Safeco Field, which begins with four games against the New York Yankees.

Right-hander Felix Hernandez (5-3 with a 4.20 ERA) will face New York right-hander Luis Severino (5-4, 3.40) at 7:10 p.m. Thursday in the series opener.