Jose Altuve deposited a perfect bunt single down the third-base line with two outs in the seventh inning, the lone run-scoring hit of a four-run frame that lifted the Houston Astros to a 5-3 victory over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Friday.
Trailing 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Astros recorded five walks, two singles and a sacrifice fly to forge ahead. Houston benefitted from a costly throwing error on Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh with the bases loaded allowing Jeremy Pena to score and slice the deficit to one.
Pena worked a leadoff walk against Mariners reliever Trent Thornton, who then allowed a single to Yainer Diaz and a Jon Singleton groundout to the right side of the infield that advanced both runners into scoring position. After pinch-hitter Jake Meyers worked a walk off Gabe Speier (0-1), Raleigh followed with his errant throw to third that eluded Josh Rojas and bounced into left field. Diaz advanced to third as Pena crossed home and scored the tying run.
Mauricio Dubon then lifted a sacrifice fly to right. Altuve followed with his bunt single, scoring Meyers, and Alex Bregman greeted the third Seattle reliever of the frame, Cody Bolton, with a bases-loaded walk that scored Altuve.
The Mariners forged their lead with a pair of homers off Astros starter Ronel Blanco, who worked six innings and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Jorge Polanco smoked his fifth home run, a two-out, solo shot to right-center in the top of the third to break the scoreless tie. Dylan Moore answered the Astros’ tying tally in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run blast in the top of the fifth, following a leadoff single from Luke Raley with his second home run.
The Mariners fashioned a serious threat in the eighth inning, with Rojas and Julio Rodriguez posting back-to-back singles against Astros reliever Ryan Pressly to open that frame. Both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch but Pressly rallied with a strikeout of Polanco before the Mariners ran their way out of the inning.
Mitch Haniger lifted a fly ball to right field that Kyle Tucker snagged. Rojas bluffed a dash home but Rodriguez followed to third base, leading to a rundown that ultimately resulted in Rojas being tagged at home plate for an inning-ending double play.
Astros closer Josh Hader recorded his third save with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth. Seth Martinez (2-2) earned the win with a perfect seventh inning.
