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    Home » Game recap: Astros 8, Mariners 4
    Baseball

    Game recap: Astros 8, Mariners 4

    SPNW StaffBy SPNW StaffSeptember 27, 20167 Comments3 Mins Read
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    Takeaway

    Everything seemed to be going the Mariners’ way Tuesday: They held a 4-2 lead over Houston entering the bottom sixth and Toronto already defeated Baltimore, the team Seattle is chasing for the AL’s second wild card spot. Then all suddenly went awry. Helped by errors from SS Ketel Marte and 1B Adam Lind, the Astros batted around for six runs (four unearned) off Felix Hernandez for 8-4 victory at Minute Maid Park (box).

    The Mariners fell to 83-74 and are two games behind the Orioles (85-72), who dropped a 5-1 decision to Toronto (87-70), which retained control of the AL’s top wild card spot.

    Detroit (84-73) won 12-0 over a Cleveland team celebrating its AL Central championship by resting some starters. The Tigers moved a game up on Seattle, one game behind the Orioles. The Astros (83-75) pulled within 2.5 games of Baltimore and are a half-game behind the Mariners.

    So Seattle needs to make up at least two games with five to play — the series-ender with Houston Wednesday and four against Oakland over the weekend.

    Essential moments

    Ahead 4-2 in the sixth, the Mariners began their unraveling when Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa opened with singles. After Hernandez struck out Evan Gattis, Yulieski Gurriel hit a ball to Marte at short that should have been a double play. But Marte threw wildly to Lind at first, allowing Altuve to cross the plate.

    Pinch hitter Alex Bergman then tied the game 4-4 with a single to left. After Jake Marisnick reached on an error by Lind, George Springer followed with a two-run double to the deep corner in right. Marwin Gonzalez added a two-run single that knocked Hernandez out of the game.

    Hitters

    The Mariners manufactured runs on an RBI single by Nelson Cruz (first inning), an RBI double by Nori Aoki (second), a Seth Smith sacrifice fly (second) and an RBI double by Lind (third) . . . The Mariners collected 11 hits and received multi-hit games from Robinson Cano (two doubles), Cruz (2-for-4), and Lind (2-for-4) . . . The Mariners went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position  — in their past eight they are 11-for-69 (.159) — and stranded six . . . Seattle fanned six times, 10 fewer than Monday night.

    Pitchers

    Hernandez (11-7, 3.71), slammed 6-0 in his previous start against the Astros (Sept. 16), did not have a sharp outing. He allowed eight runs (four unearned) on 10 hits (five in the sixth inning) in 5.2 innings. He struck out three, walked two and threw 97 pitches, 57 for strikes. Hernandez tied season highs by allowing 10 hits and eight runs . . . The Astros have scored six or more runs off Hernandez in three consecutive outings . . . Altuve, a lifetime .500 hitter against Hernandez entering the game, went 2-for-3 with an RBI . . . Drew Storen, Dan Altivilla and Vidal Nuno combined for 2.1 innings of scoreless relief.

    Noteworthy

    The Mariners, missing a chance for a third consecutive win, are 7-11 against the Astros this season with one contest remaining Wednesday . . . The Mariners 25-18-8 in overall series . . . . For the fourth time this season, the Mariners failed to reach 11 games above .500.

    Next

    The finale game of the three-game set is 11:10 a.m., PT Wednesday. LHP James Paxton (5-7, 3.72) will oppose RHP Doug Fister (12-12, 4.42). The Mariners return to Safeco Field at 7:10 p.m. Thursday for a season-ending, four-game series with the Oakland Athletics.

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    7 Comments

    1. Colin Sowards on September 27, 2016 9:47 pm

      While Marte and Lind deserve every bit of the criticism being thrown their way, Felix can’t be let off the hook. He is the ace, highly touted and highly paid, and he has to come through in big moments. He’s gotta be the guy to lean on when the going gets tough and he failed when it got rough tonight. As a whole, the M’s picked a bad night to be bad.

      • art thiel on September 28, 2016 11:47 am

        Felix didn’t even get over to first in time to give Lind the option.

    2. Sam Base on September 27, 2016 10:06 pm

      Ketel Marte had the best double-play pivot man in the business to toss the ball to, but instead tried to be Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible and ended up with egg on his face. Bad shortstops will kill you every time.

      • Elizabethgcole2 on September 28, 2016 3:03 am

        Google is paying 97$ per hour! Work for few hours and have longer with friends & family! !mj83d:
        On tuesday I got a great new Land Rover Range Rover from having earned $8752 this last four weeks.. Its the most-financialy rewarding I’ve had.. It sounds unbelievable but you wont forgive yourself if you don’t check it
        !mj83d:
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      • art thiel on September 28, 2016 11:47 am

        Mariners have been looking since Yuniesky Betancourt. Or longer . . .

    3. rosetta_stoned on September 28, 2016 7:44 am

      Face it. Your ‘ace’ can’t handle the big games.

      • art thiel on September 28, 2016 11:46 am

        My ace? I’m trying to win the pot with a deuce and a trey.

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