Sep 8, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Michael Brantley (23) and center fielder Jake Meyers (6) try to field Seattle Mariners center fielder Jarred Kelenic (10) (not pictured) double in the seventh inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Mariners scored four runs with two outs in the ninth inning to break open a tie game and defeat the host Houston Astros 8-5 Wednesday afternoon.
Jose Marmolejos hit a two-run single and J.P. Crawford followed with a two-run homer in the ninth for the Mariners, who avoided a sweep in the three-game series with their American League West rivals.
Abraham Toro and Jarred Kelenic also drove in two runs apiece for the Mariners.
Marwin Gonzalez, Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman hit home runs for Houston, the latter in the ninth inning to cap the scoring.
With one out in the ninth, Luis Torrens lined a single to center off Astros right-hander Ryan Pressly (5-2) and was replaced by pinch-runner Dylan Moore. Kelenic walked and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. After Pressly caught Cal Raleigh looking at a called third strike, Marmolejos grounded a single through the left side of the infield against the shift to score two. Left-hander Blake Taylor came on and allowed the two-run shot to right by Crawford.
Mariners right-hander Diego Castillo (3-5) got the victory with a scoreless inning of relief in which he struck out the side.
The Mariners took a 2-0 lead in the first as Mitch Haniger, Kyle Seager and Ty France singled with one out to load the bases. Toro, acquired from the Astros in July, lined a two-run double to right field.
The Astros went ahead with a three-run second. Yordan Alvarez led off with a single and scored on Kyle Tucker’s one-out double. An out later, Gonzalez hit a two-run shot to left off left-hander Tyler Anderson.
Altuve led off the fifth with a solo homer to left off Anderson, who allowed four runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings, with three walks and four strikeouts. Anderson failed to pitch five innings for the first time in 26 starts (18 with Pittsburgh) this season.
It was the second consecutive game in which Altuve went deep after snapping a 31-game homerless drought Tuesday.
The Mariners tied the score in the seventh. With one out, France doubled into the left-field corner and Toro reached on an infield single. After Torrens struck out, Kelenic doubled high off the wall in left-center field to score both runners and make it 4-4.
–Field Level Media