Out of Right Field: Recap, takeaways from the Seattle Mariners’ 8-7 loss to the Houston Astros in 14 innings
Myles Straw led off the 14th inning with a triple and scored on Yuli Gurriel’s sacrifice fly as the Houston Astros defeated the host Seattle Mariners 8-7 Thursday afternoon.
Robinson Chirinos, Alex Bregman and Jack Mayfield homered for Houston, which took three of four games in the series.
Astros right-hander Chris Devenski (1-0) pitched the final two innings, striking out four, for the victory. Right-hander Matt Festa (0-1), the eighth Mariners pitcher, took the loss.
The Mariners twice rallied when down to their final out to extend the game, first on Edwin Encarnacion’s two-out single in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score at 6-all, then on Omar Narvaez’s home run on a 3-2 count with two outs in the 10th to make it 7-7. The Astros regained the lead in the top of the 10th on pinch-hitter Josh Reddick’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded.
Astros starter Justin Verlander was denied becoming the majors’ first 10-game winner. The right-hander allowed three runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts.
Mariners reliever Austin Adams, being used as an opener, lasted just two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks. Chirinos’ two-run shot to left field, his third homer in the series, gave the Astros a 3-0 lead.
Mariners left-hander Tommy Milone came on and allowed one run – Bregman’s solo homer in the fifth – on three hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Mayfield’s solo shot off left-hander Roenis Elias in the seventh was just his second hit in 26 at-bats in the majors and his first career home run.
The Mariners scored off Verlander in the first. With two outs, Encarnacion doubled to left field and Daniel Vogelbach followed with a run-scoring single, also to left.
Verlander retired the next 13 batters he faced before Dylan Moore led off the sixth by grounding a single into left field.
Verlander left with a 5-1 lead and two runners on in the seventh. Right-hander Will Harris relieved Verlander and gave up a single to Omar Narvaez to load the bases. Shed Long grounded into a forceout to score one run and Moore and Mallex Smith followed with RBI singles to make it 5-4.
The Astros increased the lead in the eighth on Tony Kemp’s sacrifice fly, but the Mariners pulled within 6-5 on Domingo Santana’s RBI single in the bottom of the inning.
Of note
OF Braden Bishop remains hospitalized after undergoing a procedure Wednesday for a lacerated spleen. Manager Scott Servais said Bishop would likely be hospitalized another day or two. “He’s very tough,” Servais said. “Doctors told us he shouldn’t have been playing, but when you’re called up to the big leagues, you want to play.” … OF Mitch Haniger went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts to drop his batting average to .220 before being lifted for a pinch-hitter with two runners on in the seventh. The M’s said Haniger suffered a lower-body contusion after fouling off a ball in his previous at-bat. … RHP Gerson Bautista made his M’s debut in the eighth, giving up one run on a hit and two walks. … The M’s went 3-8 on their just completed 11-game homestand, their longest of the season.
By the numbers
9: Number of times the M’s struck out in extra innings.
Our take from Right Field
The M’s tried using a reliever as an opener for the second time in the series and it backfired again. Adams allowed three runs in the first, just as Cory Gearrin did in a 4-2 loss Monday.
Up next
The M’s open a three-game series against the host Los Angeles Angels at 7:07 p.m. Friday. LHP Marco Gonzales (5-6, 4.89 ERA) is set to face Angels LHP Andrew Heaney (0-0, 4.09).