Astros set team doubles mark, plate 21 in historic thrashing of Mariners
The Houston Astros' hitters watched Gerrit Cole turn in a record strikeout performance and decided to join the fun.
Houston's hitters put on a historic show featuring a franchise-record 11 doubles during a 21-1 thrashing of the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
Six of the Astros' nine starters notched at least one double. Yordan Alvarez smacked three, Abraham Toro and Kyle Tucker each had a pair, and Martin Maldonado, Jose Altuve, and Aledmys Diaz all had one. Garrett Stubbs added one a few innings after entering as a pinch-runner.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Toro's second double in the seventh broke a Houston franchise record that had stood since 1999.
It's only the sixth time in baseball's modern era (since 1900) that a team's hit at least 11 doubles in a game and just the third time it's happened this century, according to Baseball-Reference.
The Astros finished one double shy of the American League record (shared by the 1990 Tigers and 1996 Twins) and two back of the modern-day MLB mark of 13 set by the Chicago Cubs in 1931. The Chicago White Stockings (now known as the Cubs) set the all-time single-game record with 14 against the Buffalo Bisons on July 3, 1883, according to Baseball Almanac.
Houston made more history when it scored its 21st run of the contest. The 21-1 scoreline made the Astros the first team to win two games by at least 20 runs in the same season since the 1939 New York Yankees, who did it three times, according to Stats By Stats. The Astros beat Baltimore 23-2 in August.
The 11 doubles surrendered by the Mariners, meanwhile, surpassed the previous franchise record of nine set in 1992. Felix Hernandez, who allowed 11 of the Astros' 21 runs (seven earned) during his two-inning start, gave up a career-worst six doubles.
This was the fourth time in franchise history the Mariners allowed 20-plus runs in a game. Though their 21 runs allowed fell one shy of the team record, the 20-run margin of defeat was the largest in Mariners history, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times.
Houston's win, its 94th of the campaign, temporarily vaulted the team past the Yankees (who play Sunday night) for baseball's best record. The Astros' plus-240 run differential also leads MLB.