Mariners winning streak ends with 5-2 loss to Astros in series opener
The 15-game winning streak set so many summers ago during a historic 116-win season in 2001 will remain unmatched at the top of the Mariners record book.
At least for now.
Friday evening at a packed T-Mobile Park, the Mariners, after entering the All-Star break earlier in the week with 14 consecutive victories, opened the second half looking to even the longest winning streak in franchise history against the visiting Astros.
But, they fell just short.
Houston, still well ahead in the American League West standings, sent three solo home runs into the seats early on, continued to add on, and quieted a late rally to eventually end this memorable run — which was tied for the longest in the majors this season — by handing Seattle a 5-2 loss in front of a sold out crowd of 45,290.
“The feel in the ballpark tonight was awesome,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “You could certainly feel our fans as we started to rally there, and everybody on their feet hoping that we can keep this streak going. It just wasn’t meant to be.
“But, not for lack of effort, for sure. Our guys came in with the right attitude after the break. Just, again, a little bit short, didn’t quite get the big hit tonight. It’s disheartening, but I can’t say enough about the group that we have, and how much big-time baseball we’ve got ahead of us here the next few months.”
Jose Altuve produced what was eventually the game-winning home run three pitches into the contest, when he crushed a fastball 422 feet to left center on the third pitch he saw from Mariners starter Marco Gonzales.
Houston then added on in three of the following five frames, building what was at one point a 5-0 lead.
Yordan Alvarez sent another leadoff solo homer 414 feet over the fence in left center in the fourth to push the lead to two runs, and Martin Maldonado’s 360-foot solo blast in the fifth gave Houston a three-run advantage.
The Astros tacked on a fourth run three batters later, when Alvarez sent a long fly ball to left with one out. Jesee Winker tracked it down on the warning track, but Altuve tagged up and scored from third.
Houston’s lead reached five runs in the sixth when Aledmys Diaz sent a two-out double to right, and then scored on a Jake Meyers single moments later to end Gonzales’ evening.
He allowed the five earned runs on nine hits, including the three home runs, while walking one and striking out two across 5 2/3 innings.
“It wasn’t Marco’s sharpest night, but he hung in there, kind of does what he does to give us a chance,” Servais said. “We just need to get more offense going and weren’t able to do that.”
Ty France ended the shutout bid in the sixth with a leadoff home run that traveled 403 feet to right center, producing one of the four hits and the only run Astros starter Jose Urquidy allowed in six quality innings.
The Mariners left runners on base in six innings, including the final three, and couldn’t complete a late comeback.
Seattle’s best chance was in the eighth, when J.P. Crawford led off the inning with a base hit, and France and Winker drew walks to load the bases with one out against Astros reliever Phil Maton.
Houston brought in Ryne Stanek from the bullpen, but the Mariners quickly added a second run when Eugenio Suarez worked back from an 0-2 count and drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the lead to 5-2.
But, the rally ended there.
Kyle Lewis, appearing for the first time since late May after being activated from the injured list earlier in the day, sent a line drive toward left center, but Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena made a leaping catch for the second out of the inning. Stanek then struck out Cal Raleigh to end the frame.
“We put a ton of pressure on them, we just couldn’t quite get the big hit,” Servais said. “I thought the ball that K-Lew hit that Pena made a great play on — you need to catch a few breaks when you’re trying to come from behind like that, and we weren’t able to do it tonight.
“But, awesome at-bats up and down the lineup, grinded through it looking for the big hit. We just didn’t quite get it tonight.”
The Mariners were without All-Star center fielder Julio Rodriguez in the series opener after he was scratched from the lineup before first pitch due to left wrist soreness.
Servais said postgame the 21-year-old rookie was injured during a stolen base attempt in Seattle’s previous series against the Rangers in Texas.
Rodriguez also participated in the Home Run Derby — during which he hit 81 home runs in three rounds, the second-most all-time in the event — and All-Star Game earlier this week in Los Angeles.
Servais said Rodriguez is day-to-day, and the Mariners will continue to monitor him in the days ahead.
Rodriguez is hitting .275/.337/.477 with 53 runs scored, 18 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, 52 RBI and 21 stolen bases through 91 games. He entered the week as the team leader in runs scored, RBI and stolen bases, and tied for the team lead in triples and home runs.
“We’ve got to do the right thing here,” Servais said. “We’ve got a lot of big baseball games ahead. We’re certainly going to need him to be a big part of that. It just really wasn’t worth the risk running him out there tonight not being 100 percent.”
The Mariners (51-43) resume their three-game series against the Astros on Saturday afternoon before hosting the Rangers in three games to wrap up the homestand early next week.
Though Friday’s loss ended Seattle’s string of wins at 14 games, the club has won 22 of its past 26, and enters the weekend tied for the second AL wild card spot.
“I think through it we became a lot closer as a team, as a unit, and it certainly wasn’t one guy or two guys that were carrying us, it was everybody playing their part and doing their share of helping us win ballgames,” Gonzales said of the recent run.
“I think it brought us a lot closer as a team obviously, and we’re geared up for a lot of fun this second half.”
This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 10:20 PM.
