|
 Bloomquist's first home run since Aug. 10, 2011, drove in two
runs while giving Seattle a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth
inning. It ended a streak of 626 consecutive at-bats without a homer
for Bloomquist, who now has 17 home runs in his 13-year career.
"He's by no means a power hitter," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon
said, "but he's a professional hitter."
Bloomquist and third baseman Kyle Seager each drove in three runs
for the Mariners (24-23).
Hernandez (6-1) gave up one run and five hits with nine strikeouts
in eight innings. He has now won three starts in a row, the last two
of which have seen him go eight innings.
"Felix was pretty darn good tonight -- in a lot of different ways,"
McClendon said. "His pitch count (102) was efficient, and he fielded
the ball with his glove and his legs. So he was pretty good."
Hernandez was wearing an ice pack on his left calf after a game. He
took two low line drives off the body. A sixth-inning liner off the
bat of Houston's Jason Castro did little damage, and Hernandez was
able to stay in the game after a Jose Altuve single off his left
calf in the eighth.
 Afterward, Hernandez said he would be fine.
"A little bruised, but it's good," he said. "It's going to be good."
Bloomquist's two-run shot came against Houston starter Rudy Owens,
who made his major-league debut after being called up from Triple-A
earlier in the day to fill in for injured Brad Peacock. Owens (0-1)
ended up being charged with five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings,
allowing nine hits and two walks.
"It's been a long time coming," said Owens, whose parents drove from
Phoenix in a rented van to see the performance. "It's been a
frustrating road, to say the least. But I'm happy with the way it
worked out."
The Mariners led 3-1 with one out in the sixth when Owens gave up a
double off the top of the center-field wall to Seattle catcher Mike
Zunino. McClendon challenged the call, which was upheld when replays
showed that Zunino's ball hit the top of the wall but did not go
over.
With Zunino standing on second base, Bloomquist hit the first pitch
he saw just inside the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer and
a 5-1 Seattle lead.
He said after the win that home runs are not typically a part of his
game.
"It's not my swing, but I'll take them when they come -- if they
come," Bloomquist said.
Seager added an RBI single in the seventh as the Mariners won for
the fourth time in five games.
Hernandez went eight innings, marking the third time in 11 starts
this season that he has completed at least eight innings.
Two Seattle relievers finished the ninth.
Owens spent the past three seasons at Triple-A. A stress fracture in
his foot limited him to four games in 2013. He was optioned back to
Triple-A immediately after the game, with Brett Oberholtzer being
recalled to start Saturday in Seattle.
"I kind of knew something was up," Owens said of being sent back
down after the game. "I was hoping for the best, but I kind of knew
it would happen."
[to top of second column] |
The Mariners welcomed Owens with two runs in the bottom of the first
for a quick 2-0 lead. Owens retired the first two batters he faced
before Seattle put together three consecutive hits with two outs,
culminating with Seager's two-run single to center field.
Houston got a run back in the top of the third when Altuve cut the
deficit to 2-1 with an RBI single off Hernandez.
In the bottom of the fourth, Bloomquist put the Mariners ahead 3-1
with a sacrifice fly.
The Astros stranded runners on base in four of the first five
innings, two of which saw center fielder Dexter Fowler strike out
looking with runners on second base. After Hernandez caught Fowler
looking in the fifth, the Houston outfielder jawed with home-plate
umpire Eric Cooper but did not get tossed from the game.
With singles in the first and third innings, Mariners second baseman
Robinson Cano turned in his 19th multiple-hit game while reaching
base for the 30th game in a row.
NOTES: Right forearm soreness caused Houston's Brad Peacock to be
scratched from his scheduled start Friday night. Manager Bo Porter
said the injury is not believed to be serious and added that Peacock
is likely to be available for his next scheduled start in five days.
... LHP Rudy Owens was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City on
Friday to take Peacock's turn in the rotation. To make room for
Owens on the roster, Houston optioned RHP Josh Zeid to Triple-A. ...
Owens flew in from New Orleans on Thursday, and he was scheduled to
be headed back to Triple-A sometime Saturday. LHP Brett Oberholtzer
was recalled late Friday night to make Saturday's start. ... LHP
Dallas Keuchel, who was originally scheduled to start for the Astros
on Saturday, will now start Sunday as the rotation is being moved
back one day to accommodate Oberholtzer. ... Astros OF George
Springer (hip flexor) was out of the lineup for the second
consecutive game on Friday. ... Struggling Mariners SS Brad Miller
sat on the bench again Friday, marking the second game in a row that
he has been benched. Veteran Willie Bloomquist got the start on
Friday while Miller tries to find an answer for his .156 batting
average. ... The bottom of the first inning on Friday led off with a
historical matchup of players wearing No. 99. Houston starter Rudy
Owens, called up earlier in the day, was wearing the number -- as
was Seattle leadoff hitter James Jones. It marked the first time in
Major League history that two players wearing a No. 99 jersey
squared off.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
