Field Level Media
Aug 1, 2018
Charlie Morton pitched six strong innings, and Evan Gattis hit a tiebreaking home run as the Houston Astros snapped a season-worst, five-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory against the host Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
Houston's Josh Reddick, who went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, added a two-run homer in the top of the ninth off left-hander Zach Duke, who was making his Mariners debut after being acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Alex Bregman also went 3-for-5 for the Astros.
Morton (12-2) allowed two runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out eight.
Joe Smith, Tony Sipp, Collin McHugh and Hector Rondon combined for three scoreless innings of one-hit relief. Rondon worked a 1-2-3 ninth to pick up his 10th save of the season.
Houston took the lead in the sixth inning on Gattis' two-run homer off right-hander Mike Leake (8-7), making it 3-1. Bregman led off the inning with a double to center, and after Yuli Gurriel grounded out to Leake, Gattis hit an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left field.
Leake went six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. He didn't walk a batter and struck out four.
The Mariners opened the scoring in the fourth as Jean Segura led off with a homer to left-center field, his eighth of the season.
The Astros tied it in the fifth as Tony Kemp doubled to center with one out and scored on out later on Reddick's line-drive single to right.
Trailing 3-1, the Mariners got one run back in the bottom of the sixth. Segura and Denard Span singled with one out. After Nelson Cruz struck out, Mitch Haniger lined a run-scoring single to left. Chris Herrmann grounded out to end the inning.
Right-hander Sam Tuivailala, acquired in a trade with St. Louis, also made his Mariners debut. He pitched scoreless ball for 1 2/3 innings. Duke gave up two runs in one-third of an inning.
The Astros evened the three-game series at a victory apiece, with the set concluding Wednesday afternoon.
--Field Level Media