HOUSTON -- The Mariners welcomed the return of All-Star right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma as well as some much-needed offense as Seattle topped the Astros, 9-8, in a Saturday filled with runs at Minute Maid Park.After missing the first five weeks of the season with a torn tendon in his right middle finger, Iwakuma picked up the win in his debut while allowing four runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings.The Mariners helped Iwakuma out with their highest-scoring game since a 10-3 victory on Opening Day in Anaheim, though they waited until the late innings to make their presence felt.
After managing just two hits through five scoreless innings against Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel, the Mariners broke through with a run in the sixth and eight more in the seventh as they evened the series at 1-1.A mammoth two-run home run by Justin Smoak and Michael Saunders' two-run double highlighted the seventh-inning outburst, which was kick-started by four straight walks to open the frame by Keuchel and reliever Jose Cisnero as the Astros blew a 2-1 lead in a hurry.After a bases-loaded walk by Mike Zunino tied the game at 2, Saunders made it 4-2 with his double. Stefen Romero and Robinson Cano followed with run-scoring singles, Kyle Seager added an RBI double and Smoak unloaded a blast that hit off the railroad tracks above the left-field stands at Minute Maid Park.All eight runs came after manager Lloyd McClendon was ejected by home plate umpire James Hoye after becoming upset about the Astros getting extra time to warm up Cisnero in the bullpen following a mound visit by Houston skipper Bo Porter and another by catcher Jason Castro.The Mariners have now won six of their last eight games to improve to 13-15. Houston fell to 10-20, but had beaten Seattle three of their first four meetings before Saturday.Iwakuma breezed through the first two frames before giving up two runs in the third on an RBI triple by Jonathan Villar and sacrifice fly by Jose Altuve. The Astros cut the lead to 9-4 on a home run by Chris Carter in the seventh and then began chipping away at Seattle's bullpen after Iwakuma's departure.Rookie reliever Dominic Leone surrendered a two-run homer to Villar in the seventh as Houston scored four times in that frame, then made it 9-8 with a pair of runs off Yoervis Medina in the eighth.The Astros had the bases loaded against Medina when closer Fernando Rodney came on to record the final out of the eighth to preserve the lead.Saunders, Cano and Smoak each had two RBIs and the Mariners went 5-for-7 with runners in scoring position to take advantage of nine hits and five walks.Greg Johns / MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
