Astros continue to frustrate Mariners, snap another winning streak
HOUSTON – Even if hasn’t been like the domination of past seasons, where trying to beat the Astros in just one game felt like solving some complicated equation that didn’t have an answer, the frustration remains the same for the Mariners.
After holding their own against their much-disliked American League West rivals early in the season, playing the Astros even over the first 12 games , which included a series win at Minute Maid Park, Houston has reasserted its dominance, beating, if not bullying, the Mariners at a familiar rate.
After snapping the Mariners’ 14-game winning streak in the first game out of the All-Star break en route to a three-game series sweep at T-Mobile Park, the Astros didn’t allow the Mariners to add to their three-game winning streak Thursday night.
The Astros took advantage of an erratic showing from young reliever Andres Munoz, scoring two runs in the eighth inning to break a tie for a 4-2 victory.
Alex Bregman doubled off the fence to score the go-ahead run and scored on a wild pitch in the inning for a key insurance run.
The Mariners got a quality start from Logan Gilbert, who pitched six innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. The two runs allowed came in the first inning when he gave up a two-out double to Yordan Alvarez and left a slider in the middle of the plate that Bregman deposited in the Crawford Boxes for a two-run homer.
But that was all the Astros would muster against Gilbert, who worked the next five inning scoreless, allowing just one runner to reach scoring position during that span.
The Mariners answered Houston’s two runs with a pair of runs in the third inning off Jose Urquidy.
The Mariners loaded the bases with no outs and got a run from Ty France’s sacrifice fly to center, adding another run from Carlos Santana’s fielders choice ground ball. While the outs were productive, the Mariners needed a hit to break the inning open.
It looked like Adam Frazier might have broken the 2-2 tie with two outs in the seventh inning with Cal Raleigh on second. Frazier’s line drive to left field off former Mariners reliever Rafael Montero seemed like it would get over the head of left fielder Chas McCormick to score the run, but McCormick made a difficult leaping grab to rob Frazier of a double and the Mariners of a run.
Castillo goes on injured list
The Mariners were forced to put right-handed reliever Diego Castillo on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 26) with shoulder inflammation before the series with Houston.
The Mariners recalled right-hander Matt Brash from Class AAA Tacoma to take Castillo’s place. Brash actually never joined the Rainiers even though he was optioned to Tacoma on July 25 when George Kirby was re-added to the starting rotation.
“It’s nothing too serious,” Servais said of Castillo’s shoulder. “He has had an MRI. It’s just a situation with where we are — and again, I go back to that 13-pitcher rule — if that rule wasn’t in place, Diego probably wouldn’t be on the IL. I do think he’d probably be back here in five or six days. But the situation we’re in on this road trip playing in smaller ballparks here and in New York, you need to have everybody available. So that’s why we made the move there. I fully expect him to be back and ready to go when that IL stint is up.”