Astros snap five-game skid with 5-2 win over Mariners
Seattle Mariners shortstop Jean Segura makes a diving stab of a grounder, but from a seated position can't throw out Houston Astros' Alex Bregman in the fourth inning on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, at Safeco Field in Seattle. (Dean Rutz/Seattle Times/TNS)
SEATTLE (AP) — Evan Gattis hit a two-run home run to put Houston ahead, Josh Reddick capped it with a two-run shot in the ninth inning, and the Astros snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.
Gattis’ 21st home run of the season came in the sixth off Seattle starter Mike Leake and snapped a 1-1 tie. Leake left a breaking ball in the middle of the plate and Gattis clubbed it over the left field fence to put the Astros in front.
Reddick greeted new Seattle reliever Zach Duke with a shot to deep right-center field in the ninth. It was the first home run allowed this season by Duke, who was acquired in a trade with Minnesota.
Charlie Morton (12-2) struck out eight and didn’t allow Seattle to put together a sustained rally in earning his 12th victory. Seattle’s offense was limited to Jean Segura’s solo home run and Mitch Haniger’s RBI single. Morton was pulled after the sixth, despite giving up just two runs and throwing 90 pitches. The sixth inning was the only time Seattle had multiple runners on base and Morton got out of the jam after Haniger’s single by getting Chris Hermann to ground out with two runners on.
Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his 10th save.
Leake (8-7) escaped a bases loaded jam in the fourth inning, but couldn’t avoid giving up a run in the fifth. Leake left a 0-2 pitch to Reddick in the middle of the plate and his two-out single scored Tony Kemp. Gattis added his homer an inning later.
Leake allowed eight hits and struck out four. He allowed three earned runs or more for just the fourth time in his past 13 starts.