SEATTLE (AP) — Jose Altuve homered for the fifth straight game, Justin Verlander struck out eight of the first 10 batters he faced and finished with a season-high 11, and the Houston Astros won their eighth straight beating the Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Saturday night.
Altuve homered for the sixth time in the past five games with a solo shot off Seattle starter Felix Hernandez (1-1) in the fifth inning. Altuve is the first Astros hitter to homer in five straight games since Morgan Ensberg set a franchise record with six straight in 2006. Robinson Chirinos also homered as Houston handed Seattle consecutive losses for the first time this season.
Verlander (2-0) was the reason why in this one.
Verlander was overpowering early and didnt allow a baserunner until Mitch Hanigers solo home run with one out in the fourth inning. Hanigers homer extended Seattles MLB-record streak of 17 games with a home run to begin a season. Seattle has 38 homers in 17 games, but was held to a season low in runs. It was just the third time Seattle was held to less than six runs.
Daniel Vogelbach singled leading off the fifth, but that was it for baserunners allowed. Verlander walked none and only a rising pitch count equated an end to his evening. Still, he had plenty left in the later innings, hitting 98 mph with his fastball in the sixth inning and his pitch count nearing the century mark.
Verlander did get one key defensive play in the fifth inning when Jake Marisnick made a running catch in deep right-center field on a drive from Ryon Healy. Off the bat, Verlander appeared to think the ball was gone, but Marisnick chased it down to end the inning and save Houston a run.
Marisnick made another fine running catch on Domingo Santanas drive to center leading off the seventh. Seattle got a bad break later in the inning when Tim Beckhams drive bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double when Vogelbach likely would have scored from first if it stayed in play. Omar Narvaez grounded out to end the threat.
Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Hernandez had a solid outing after being pulled early from his last start due to illness. Hernandez pitched six innings, allowing six hits and striking out five. Most of his trouble came in the third inning when Chirinos homer was followed by a hit batter, an infield single by Altuve and Read More – Source
SEATTLE (AP) — Jose Altuve homered for the fifth straight game, Justin Verlander struck out eight of the first 10 batters he faced and finished with a season-high 11, and the Houston Astros won their eighth straight beating the Seattle Mariners 3-1 on Saturday night.
Altuve homered for the sixth time in the past five games with a solo shot off Seattle starter Felix Hernandez (1-1) in the fifth inning. Altuve is the first Astros hitter to homer in five straight games since Morgan Ensberg set a franchise record with six straight in 2006. Robinson Chirinos also homered as Houston handed Seattle consecutive losses for the first time this season.
Verlander (2-0) was the reason why in this one.
Verlander was overpowering early and didnt allow a baserunner until Mitch Hanigers solo home run with one out in the fourth inning. Hanigers homer extended Seattles MLB-record streak of 17 games with a home run to begin a season. Seattle has 38 homers in 17 games, but was held to a season low in runs. It was just the third time Seattle was held to less than six runs.
Daniel Vogelbach singled leading off the fifth, but that was it for baserunners allowed. Verlander walked none and only a rising pitch count equated an end to his evening. Still, he had plenty left in the later innings, hitting 98 mph with his fastball in the sixth inning and his pitch count nearing the century mark.
Verlander did get one key defensive play in the fifth inning when Jake Marisnick made a running catch in deep right-center field on a drive from Ryon Healy. Off the bat, Verlander appeared to think the ball was gone, but Marisnick chased it down to end the inning and save Houston a run.
Marisnick made another fine running catch on Domingo Santanas drive to center leading off the seventh. Seattle got a bad break later in the inning when Tim Beckhams drive bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double when Vogelbach likely would have scored from first if it stayed in play. Omar Narvaez grounded out to end the threat.
Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Hernandez had a solid outing after being pulled early from his last start due to illness. Hernandez pitched six innings, allowing six hits and striking out five. Most of his trouble came in the third inning when Chirinos homer was followed by a hit batter, an infield single by Altuve and Read More – Source
