Mariners end five-game losing streak to Astros with 5-4 win

The Seattle Mariners finally beat the Houston Astros courtesy of a comeback win, but suffer a trio of injuries in the process.

If there is a candidate for strangest game of the season so far for the Mariners, Saturday night’s win over the Astros will get a lot of votes. You quite simply couldn’t have scripted everything that happened at Minute Maid Park.

Ending a five-game losing streak to your main divisional rival the Astros, courtesy of a come-from-behind victory in the ninth inning? Check.

The winning runs scored by an unpopular player among fans, who used to play for said rivals? You’ve go it.

Overcoming a trio of injuries, including one to your budding superstar and another caused by a player spiking a helmet and having it bounce back and hit them in the face? No problem.

Manger Scott Servais has repeatedly praised his team’s never-say-die attitude, but even he could barely believe what happened on the night. Speaking to the media afterwards, he said:

“We’ve had some crazy come-from-behind wins, crazy games since I’ve been here. This one may be near the top of the list, with all the stuff that happened and where we’re at. A lot of things throughout the course of that game (happened) with players coming out of the game … It was crazy, but at the end of the day credit to our players, our team, we hung in there.”

The game started simple enough for the Mariners, who came out firing in the top of the first. RBIs from Eugenio Suarez, J.P. Crawford and Adam Frazier put them in a commanding position early.

Chris Flexen was having a solid outing and the Astros were unable to do anything against him for four innings. However, they finally started to get to him and he departed after one out in the top of the fifth, having allowed three hits, two earned runs and four walks.

Matthew Festa took over and could not stop the bleeding, as he allowed four hits and another two earned runs. He only lasted until the end of the fifth inning and registered his first blown save of the season, as Houston took a 4-3 lead.

Everything was starting to go wrong for the Mariners, as they faced the prospect of yet another loss to the Astros. Dylan Moore left the game with back spasms, while Sam Haggerty suffered a forehead gash after spiking his helmet in frustration and having it bounce back to hit him in the face.

Potentially worst of all though, Julio Rodriguez was struck in the back of his right hand while swinging at a pitch in the top of the eighth. He played center field in the bottom of the inning, before having to leave the game.

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Rodriguez was not comfortable holding a bat after being hit by the pitch and the fear is he has broken his hand. He underwent X-rays after the game, but the results hadn’t been announced at the time of writing.

While the long-term implications are unclear at this stage, it turned out to be — for lack of a better phrase — a blessing in disguise at the time. Abraham Toro came in to pinch hit in the top of the ninth, facing the team he was traded from essentially one year ago.

Raising the stakes, there were two runners on base in scoring position, but the Mariners were down to their final out. So of course Toro proceeded to hit a two-RBI single on the first pitch he faced, to give Seattle a 5-4 lead they would not relinquish.

This is not the first time the second/third baseman has caused damage against the Astros, having previously hit a homer against them in his first at-bat for the Mariners. More impressively, he hit a grand slam against them at the end of last August, to provide all the scoring in a 4-0 win.

Toro was asked afterwards what the win said about the Mariners. He said:

“It just shows what kind of team we are. Usually down the stretch, (for) the good teams everybody helps; the bench players, the regular players. Especially if you want to play in October, that’s what it’s going to take for us to get there.”

The Mariners will attempt to leave Houston with a series split, when George Kirby takes the mound on Sunday afternoon for the finale. The Astros will counter with Jake Odorizzi.

What impressed you most about the Mariners’ 5-4 win on Saturday night? How confident are you that they can leave Houston on Sunday with a series split? Let us know in the comments section below.