LDN - Sports

Astros outslug Mariners to finish sweep

[July 07, 2016] HOUSTON -- After the Seattle Mariners used the home run to erase what was once a five-run deficit, Houston Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena proved that displays of extraordinary power could benefit the home team as well.

Valbuena crushed his second upper-deck home run in as many nights and the Astros completed a three-game series sweep of Seattle with a 9-8 win Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park.

Seattle left fielder Seth Smith capped a seventh-inning rally with a dramatic three-run home run off Michael Feliz to knot the score at 7-7 -- the Mariners' fourth home run of the night. But Valbuena returned the favor in the bottom of the eighth, drilling a 2-2 fastball from Edwin Diaz (0-2) an estimated 415 feet to right field to drive home Jason Castro, who doubled leading off the frame, and cap the final momentum swing.

"I feel so good at home plate," said Valbuena, who finished 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. "I'm looking for my pitch. He threw me a good pitch to hit and I hit a home run. I don't try to do too much."

Said Diaz: "He hit that ball. I didn't look back because I knew that it wasn't a good pitch. He hit it far."

Astros right-hander Luke Gregerson surrendered a pair of one-out walks and an RBI double to Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano in the ninth inning yet picked up his 14th save by striking out Nelson Cruz and Dae-Ho Lee, the latter with the bases loaded.

Right-handers Ken Giles (1-3) and Chris Devenski, who worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings, were the only effective pitchers to work at least an inning. Cano hit his 20th homer and reached base in all five of his plate appearances, recording two doubles, two walks and two

Neither starter survived the fourth inning.

Houston (46-39) spotted right-hander Mike Fiers a 5-0 lead, scoring three times on three hits in the first off Seattle left-hander Wade LeBlanc.

Carlos Correa blooped a one-out double to right field to score Valbuena and came home two batters later when Carlos Gomez (3-for-4, three RBIs) doubled off the scoreboard in left field. Jose Altuve, who singled ahead of Correa, also scored on the play for a 3-0 Astros lead.

Houston tacked on a run in each of the second and third innings, with Evan Gattis smacking his 12th homer to stretch the lead to 4-0 before Gomez torched LeBlanc again with an RBI triple to straightaway center.

"Command was off," said LeBlanc, who allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and one walk in 3 1/3 innings. "Still throwing strikes but with the stuff that I have, if I'm not commanding the ball against an aggressive team like this it has potential for a long night."

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One trip through the order, Fiers appeared in command, inducing weak contact and allowing a bloop double by Ketel Marte in the third.

But in the fourth Seattle (43-42) unleashed a torrent, slugging three homers off Fiers totaling 1,153 feet. Cano started the deluge with a line drive to right, his sixth homer in 10 games against Houston this season.

The onslaught continued when Kyle Seager smacked a 414-foot shot into the upper deck that drove home Cruz and cut the deficit to 5-3.

One batter after Seager hit his 17th home run, Lee also went to right field for his 12th. Two batters later, Fiers was gone after allowing four runs on five hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. But on this night, the Astros had enough offense to shoulder the load.

"I'm proud of our guys, how we stuck in the game," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Some nights the pitching staff picks us up as a position players' standpoint. Other nights the position players keep fighting to the end and score just enough to pick up a tough night on the mound."

NOTES: Mariners RHP Felix Hernandez (right calf strain) moved closer to a return from the 15-day disabled list after throwing a simulated game on Wednesday. Hernandez will pitch four innings for Class A Everett on Sunday, work out at Safeco Field on July 14 and then pitch for Triple-A Tacoma the following day. Barring any setbacks, Hernandez will pitch for the Mariners on July 20 against the Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field. ... The Astros initiated an aggressive campaign to have RF George Springer added to the American League All-Star Game roster via the final vote ballot. Springer, is batting .265 with 19 home runs and 51 RBIs. ... Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker was placed on the 15-day disabled list with right foot tendinitis. Walker has exited three recent starts early due to discomfort in his right foot, including on Tuesday night. The Mariners recalled LHP David Rollins from Triple-A Tacoma. Seattle also optioned C Mike Zunino to Tacoma and activated C Jesus Sucre (right ankle surgery) from the 60-day DL.

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