HOUSTON — Even if hasn’t been like the domination of past seasons, where trying 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 at 6-6, 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 and 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 hard 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.
