Taijuan Walker sharp to lead Mariners past Astros
SEATTLE – On a night when Kyle Seager hit the 100th homer of his career and turned in a sparkling defensive play, it was still hard to pull the spotlight away from Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker.
This was dominant stuff over seven innings from Walker before the bullpen held on for a 3-2 Seattle victory over the Houston Astros Monday night at Safeco Field.
Walker (2-0) limited the Astros to one run and six hits in seven innings. He set a career high with 118 pitches, matched a career high with 11 strikeouts and closed his night by striking out six straight batters.
Then it got hairy.
After putting Joaquin Benoit on the disabled list earlier in the day because of a sore shoulder, the Mariners turned to Joel Peralta to protect a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning.
Houston stirred to life with one out when George Springer pulled a double past third. Springer scored when Carlos Correa grounded an RBI single through the right side.
The lead was down to one.
Colby Rasmus swung through a full-count splitter for the second out, but Correa stole second on the pitch. Peralta held the lead, though, by striking out Tyler White.
Steve Cishek closed out Walker’s victory by stranding runners at first and third in the ninth inning for his sixth save of the season and the 100th of his career.
The victory boosted the Mariners over .500 at 10-9 and into first place by one-half game in the American League West Division.
The Mariners made it tougher than it needed to be by repeatedly letting Houston starter Doug Fister (1-3) off the hook. Fister issued a career-high seven walks and allowed four hits but gave up just three runs in six innings.
After Seager’s milestone homer broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning, the Astros threatened in the fifth when Erik Kratz reached on a one-out bunt single and went to third on Jose Altuve’s double into the left-field corner.
Walker responded by striking out Springer before Seager ended the inning with a web gem – backhanding Correa’s grounder at the line and bouncing an online throw to first for the final out.
The Mariners stretched their lead to 3-1 an inning later.
Ketel Marte led off with a walk and went to second on a one-out walk to Seth Smith – Fister’s fifth walk, which matched a career high. Robinson Cano broke an 0-for-12 skid with an RBI single to center.
Walker followed that with two three-strikeout innings.
The only run against Walker came in the second inning after his only walk of the game – a four-pitch walk to White with one out.
Evan Gattis and Carlos Gomez followed with singles, but Walker stranded two runners by striking out the next two batters.
The Mariners got even on Leonys Martin’s leadoff homer in the third inning on a 378-foot drive to right that stayed just fair inside the pole.
Seager’s leadoff homer in the fourth inning gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead. It was a 404-drive to right center on a 3-1 fastball – an 86-mph fastball – from Fister.