Seattle, WA
Astros shut out Seattle Mariners 3-0, move into tie atop AL West
SEATTLE (AP) — One month was all the Houston Astros needed to erase a 10-game deficit and reclaim their spot atop the AL West.
Houston Astros 3, Seattle Mariners 0: Box score
Hunter Brown worked around trouble while allowing four hits in six innings, Yainer Diaz delivered the big blow with a two-run single and the Astros moved into a tie for first place in the AL West with a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
“We have clawed our way through a very difficult stretch early in the season and find ourselves tied in first place — just proud of that group,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “They have never stopped fighting. They never stopped believing. And this is far from over but just to find ourselves in this position, it feels great.”
The Astros (51-46) trailed Seattle by 10 games and were seven games under .500 on June 18, but have surged over the past 24 games. Houston improved to 18-6 over the last 31 days and used one big inning against Seattle starter Luis Castillo to complete the climb.
Since holding that 10-game lead, the Mariners (52-47) have stumbled to an 8-16 mark, including a lifeless effort against their division rival coming out of the All-Star break that led to boos from the home fans after the final out.
Seattle’s offense again remained the problem. Brown (8-6) labored through the first two innings, but came up with key pitches when needed. He got Cal Raleigh to line out with the bases loaded and two outs in the third inning, and induced a double play from Josh Rojas to end the fifth after the first two batters reached.
The Mariners have lost four straight and scored three runs or less for the 15th time in the past 24 games.
“Our group understands where we’re at. Offense has been a struggle for us, trying different things to unlock it and get it going. Just not happening right now,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said.
Brown worked through the sixth, walking three and striking out five. Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly were perfect in the seventh and eighth, and Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 19th save.
“Coming off the break you want to start off hot and keeping their offense to zero runs is definitely a good way to do that,” Brown said.
Houston’s one big inning against Castillo (8-10) started when Trey Cabbage doubled, then scored as Jose Altuve reached on a bunt single and a bad throw by Rojas got away from first baseman Ty France. Alex Bregman was hit by a pitch and Yordan Alvarez walked on four pitches to load the bases with no outs.
With Castillo struggling to find his control, Diaz jumped on the first pitch, lining a single to score Altuve and Bregman.
The third was the only inning where Castillo faced major problems. He pitched seven innings, allowed six hits and struck out three, but lost for the first time since June 25.
ROSTER MOVE
Seattle reinstated LHP Gabe Speier from the 15-day injured list and designated for assignment RHP Mike Baumann. Speier has been out since June 1 with a rotator cuff strain, taking away a key reliever from Seattle’s bullpen. Baumann was acquired from Baltimore in late May and was 2-0 with a 5.51 ERA in 18 appearances for the Mariners.
UP NEXT
Astros: LHP Framber Valdez (8-5, 3.66) will try to win his third straight decision. Valdez struck out a season-high 10 in his last start.
Mariners: RHP George Kirby (7-7, 3.29) has allowed three earned runs or less in nine straight starts.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• Key Seattle Mariners reliever returns, recent addition DFA’d
• Servais explains Mariners’ rotation strategy for Astros series
• ESPN’s Passan: One hitter makes most sense for a Mariners trade
• Video: Mariners Breakdown – What will second half look like?
• One way the Seattle Mariners are in better shape for second half
Thanks to Carrie Brown for the westward view of our Saturday night sunset. The high today hit 68 at the airport – eight degrees above normal – but nowhere near the record for this date, which was 89 degrees back in 2016. The forecast suggests two more days of partly sunny, almost-70-degree weather, before the chance of rain returns.
CHICAGO (AP) — The struggling New York Mets placed former Seattle Mariners second baseman/designated hitter Jorge Polanco on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right wrist contusion.
Mariners Injury Update: Latest on Robles, Vargas and more
The move was made retroactive to Wednesday, a day after Polanco went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in a 2-1 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 32-year-old Polanco is batting .179 (10 for 56) with a homer and two RBIs in his first season with New York, which has lost nine straight.
“When doctors first took a look at him, it looked like he got hit by a pitch when he didn’t,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “In talking to him, it was just a couple of swings that he took that night. … He didn’t think much of it, but just got worse the following day.
“So you just got to let it calm down a little bit and then we’ll go from there. But we don’t have a timetable for how long this is going to last.”
Polanco, who signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Mets in December, also has been dealing with an ankle issue.
“He was trending in the right direction,” Mendoza said of the ankle injury. “It’s definitely going to help, obviously now with him being shut down. But the biggest thing now is that we’ve got to take care of that wrist.”
Polanco spent the previous two seasons with the Mariners, who acquired him in a February 2024 trade with the Minnesota Twins.
Polanco struggled during his first season with Seattle in 2024, hitting just .213 with 16 homers in 118 games while playing through a knee injury that didn’t become public knowledge until after the season.
But after the Mariners somewhat surprisingly brought him back for a one-year contract in 2025, Polanco rebounded to hit .265 with 26 homers and an .821 OPS in 138 games last season. He then added three homers during Seattle’s playoff run, along with a 15th-inning walkoff single in Game 5 of the American League Division Series that sent the Mariners to their first ALCS in 24 years.
Seattle Sports staff made additions to this post.
Mariners RHP Bryce Miller to begin rehab assignment
Seattle, WA
Brandon Nimmo hits leadoff homer, Jacob deGrom works 4 scoreless as Rangers beat Seattle Mariners 5-0
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – APRIL 17: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers tags out Dominic Canzone #8 of the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park on April 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
SEATTLE – Brandon Nimmo hit a leadoff home run, Jacob deGrom threw four shutout innings and Gavin Collyer earned his first career win as the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-0 on Friday night.
Seattle lost its fourth straight game, and was shut out for the fourth time in 21 games, falling to 8-13. The Mariners were shut out six times during the 2025 season. Texas won its third straight game.
Nimmo led off the game with a 372-foot shot to right field off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert (1-3). It was Nimmo’s 16th career leadoff homer and second of the season. He also hit a leadoff home run on April 11 in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
DeGrom effectively maneuvered through Seattle’s lineup, and worked out of a one out, bases-loaded jam in the first inning. The two-time Cy Young Award winner recorded two of his three strikeouts after walking Josh Naylor to load the bases. Randy Arozarena fanned on a curveball, and Luke Raley swung through a fastball.
Texas added to its lead after Nimmo’s homer. Wyatt Langford’s single to left scored Corey Seager, who led off the third inning with a double. The Rangers stretched the lead to 3-0 on an RBI single from Jake Burger in the seventh.
The Mariners’ best scoring chance came in the sixth after Collyer (1-0), who worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings, left the game.
J.P. Crawford singled to left off Tyler Alexander with two out, and Mariners third base coach Carlos Cardoza sent Naylor from second base, but he was thrown out by Langford.
Texas added two more runs in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Andrew McCutchen and an RBI double by Josh Jung.
Seattle third baseman Brendan Donovan left the game early due to a left hip issue.
Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller, who started the year on the injured list with a left oblique injury, was at T-Mobile Park for the first time this season. He will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday.
Up next
Mariners RHP George Kirby (2-2, 3.25) will face Rangers righty Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 5.40) on Saturday afternoon.
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