Taijuan Walker (1-2, 2.96) vs Brad Peacock (4-8, 4.80)
So. That wasn't very much fun. Surprisingly un-fun for a game in which Jose Altuve went 3x3, the Astros scored 5 times, and they outhit their opponent 13-12. But a 7-run 4th for the Mariners was a pretty big fun killer, especially when 6 of those 7 runs were unearned due to a pair of Houston errors. Minus those unearned runs, plus another in the 9th, and the Astros outscored the Mariners 5-4. But the official final was 10-5 Seattle (on the strength of , so Houston drops their fourth in a row and falls back to 20 games under .500 at 67-87, with 8 to go.
On the Mound:
*Brad Peacock allowed a single in the 1st, a pair of walks in the 2nd, and a home run plus two more singles (in that order) in the 3rd, so he hadn't exactly been dominant to begin with. But after back-to-back Astros errors starting off the 4th, the wheels completely fell off for Brad, and he earned an early shower for his 3.1 IP / 6 H / 7 R / 2 ER / 4 BB / 2 K line.
*Jake Buchanan got the piggyback call from the pen in the 4th, inheriting two runners from Peacock. And unfortunately his third pitch resulted in a 3-run home run by Kyle Seager (one of four home runs on the night for Seattle). But he settled in after that, turning in 2.2 innings of otherwise scoreless work.
*Jorge De Leon got the 7th inning, allowing a walk and a double but no runs.
*Darin Downs started the 8th and threw three pitches to Dustin Ackley - two balls, and the third resulting in Ackley's second home run of the evening. But Downs did something to his side and left the game with an injury.
*So Samuel Deduno took over and retired the next three Seattle hitters in order. He also took the 9th and allowed a leadoff walk, but a pair of steals and a passed ball by Max Stassi gifted the Mariners with yet another unearned run.
At the Plate:
*Altuve was great, and overall the offense was far more lively than we ever saw them get in the Cleveland series. Jose's 0x6 Thursday night was quickly forgotten, as he went 3x3 with a double, a steal (54), and a run scored before being lifted for a pinch-hitter (?!) once the game was out of hand.
*Dexter Fowler did fine, going 2x5 with 2 RBI and 2 K.
*Jonathan Villar also had a pair of RBI, going 2x4 with a steal and a K.
*Handsome Jake Marisnick doubled and went 2x4 with a run scored and a RBI.
*Mike Bob Grossman came into tonight hitting .326 (14x43) in his last 9 games, and he kept it going with a 1x4, BB, R, 2 K night.
*Max Stassi took over for Jason Castro (0x3) also after the game was out of hand, and he went 1x2 with a run scored and a K.
*Matt Dominguez was 1x4 with a R and 2 K.
*Marwin Gonzalez went 1x4, and Chris Carter was 0x3 but with 2 BB and a K to finish out the offense.
*Dexter Fowler did fine, going 2x5 with 2 RBI and 2 K.
*Jonathan Villar also had a pair of RBI, going 2x4 with a steal and a K.
*Handsome Jake Marisnick doubled and went 2x4 with a run scored and a RBI.
*Mike Bob Grossman came into tonight hitting .326 (14x43) in his last 9 games, and he kept it going with a 1x4, BB, R, 2 K night.
*Max Stassi took over for Jason Castro (0x3) also after the game was out of hand, and he went 1x2 with a run scored and a K.
*Matt Dominguez was 1x4 with a R and 2 K.
*Marwin Gonzalez went 1x4, and Chris Carter was 0x3 but with 2 BB and a K to finish out the offense.
Turning Point:
The night started well, with a Houston run in the 1st, and they loaded the bases with no outs in the 3rd. But two K's and a flyout later, Seattle escaped with the 1-1 tie intact, and then the fun (for them) really began. Brad Peacock got Logan Morrison to ground to short leading off the 4th, but Jonathan Villar threw the ball away, allowing Morrison to reach. Then Peacock got Michael Saunders to ground to first, but Chris Carter muffed the play, and what should have been two easy outs became no outs with two on base. On a 2-1 fastball, Mike Zunino homered to left center, and the train jumped off the tracks. A strikeout of Brad Miller should have ended the inning, but errors, then it went walk, steal, walk, single (RBI), pitching change, 3-run HR. 8-1 Seattle, and the fun was over for Houston.
Man of the Match:
Jose Altuve, now at 216 hits and counting.
Goat of the Game:
Peacock was awful, but co-Goats go to Villar and Carter for the errors that drove the bus off the cliff.
