American League Game Summary - Seattle at Houston
Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Zunino and Kyle Seager hit three-run homers during a seven-run fourth inning, sending the Seattle Mariners to a 10-5 victory over the Houston Astros in the opener of a three-game series.
Dustin Ackley added a pair of home runs for the Mariners, who sit a half-game behind Kansas City for second place in the AL wild card standings. Taijuan Walker (2-2) gave up two runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.
"I wanted to make sure I went out there and threw strikes, especially with my fastball," Walker said.
Jonathan Villar and Dexter Fowler each knocked in two runs for the Astros, who have lost four in a row. Jose Altuve went 3-for-3 with a run scored to extend his Major League lead to 216 hits. In doing so he tied Magglio Ordonez (2007) for the most hits in a season by a Venezuelan-born player.
Altuve also set a franchise record with his 24th three-hit game of the season, passing Craig Biggio (23 in 1998).
Brad Peacock (4-9) allowed seven runs -- two earned -- on six hits with four walks over 3 1/3 innings. He pitched for the first time since Sept.8 due to soreness in his lower back.
"Brad wasn't as sharp as he's been the last couple of times out," Astros interim manager Tom Lawless said.
The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the first. Altuve doubled and scored on Fowler's two-out single to left.
Ackley tied things up in the third with the first of his two homers.
The Mariners exploded for seven runs in the fourth. A throwing error by Villar and a fielding error by Chris Carter started the inning. Zunino followed with a blast to left-center field. Austin Jackson and Ackley walked prior to Robinson Cano's RBI single. Jake Buchanan came in from the bullpen and gave up a three-run homer to Seager.
Fowler and Villar hit RBI singles in the fifth and sixth to cut the gap to 8-3.
Ackley led off the eighth with his second homer of the game, but the Astros responded with two runs in the bottom half.
James Jones scored on a passed ball in the ninth to account for the final margin.