Seattle Mariners vs Houston Astros Match Player Stats On Jul 17, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 18, 2017

HOUSTON -- Kyle Seager and Danny Valencia clubbed back-to-back home runs in the 10th inning, and the Seattle Mariners completed a wild 9-7 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night at Minute Maid Park.

Seager, who hit his 13th homer, and Valencia, who smacked his 11th, completed a four-homer night for the Mariners by taking Astros left-hander Tony Sipp (0-1) deep.

The late power surge made a winner of Mariners right-hander Yovani Gallardo (4-7), who benefited from three strong defensive plays by shortstop Jean Segura after Houston loaded the bases in the ninth.

Sipp was the seventh pitcher of the night for the Astros, and the third reliever to yield a home run.

Momentum swung back and forth once the Mariners chased Astros right-hander Lance McCullers, with Houston posting a four-run, two-out rally in the sixth inning to erase a 5-2 deficit. Six consecutive batters reached base for the Astros, including right fielder George Springer, whose bases-loaded walk off Tony Zych forced in Brian McCann as the go-ahead run.

The Mariners (47-47) responded with a pair of solo blasts, first from Nelson Cruz off right-hander Chris Devenski in the seventh inning to tie the game at 6-6. It was Cruz's 20th of the year. Catcher Mike Zunino added his 13th homer in the eighth, pushing Seattle ahead with his shot to left-center off Luke Gregerson.

The Astros (62-31)matched that tally in their half of the eighth, with Springer plating Norichika Aoki with a sacrifice fly after the first three batters reached base to open the inning.

McCullers continued his recent downward trend, a slide that began with his second start following a two-week stint on the disabled list.

For a brief spell, McCullers appeared to right himself after his first-inning throwing error allowed Segura to score from second base with one out. McCullers retired nine consecutive batters before the Mariners forged a rally in the fourth inning and knocked out McCullers in the fifth.

Valencia and Zunino recorded doubles in the fourth, with Valencia plating Seager and Zunino scoring Valencia and Jarrod Dyson.

After McCullers issued the second of his two walks in the fifth, he was pulled. Seager had tallied his second infield single, this one a run-scoring hit, before McCullers departed having allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings.

Over his past three starts, McCullers has allowed 14 runs (12 earned) on 21 hits in 14 1/3 innings.

Seattle starter Ariel Miranda gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings.

NOTES: Astros RHP Collin McHugh made his last rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi on Sunday, allowing one unearned run while tossing 69 pitches over six innings. McHugh ran his pitch count past 90 with additional work in the bullpen. He will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday and is tentatively scheduled to rejoin the bullpen this weekend in Baltimore. McHugh has missed the entire season with a posterior impingement in his elbow. ... Mariners OF Mitch Haniger did some light work in the batting cage and took soft toss but missed a second consecutive game with a jammed finger sustained on Saturday. The club is hopeful that he can return to action on Tuesday. ... Mariners RHP Sam Gaviglio will be recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to make the start on Tuesday night. Gaviglio was optioned to the Rainiers on July 7 and took a 5-1 loss to Fresno on July 13, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks over five innings.