Mitch Haniger, Mariners keep rolling, top Astros

Mitch Haniger had a double, triple and three RBIs and six Seattle pitchers combined on a one-hitter as the Mariners defeated the visiting Houston Astros 7-2 Sunday afternoon.

Ty France homered for Seattle, which regained sole possession of first place in the American League West.

The only hit for the short-handed Astros was a sun-aided, ground-rule double by Aledmys Diaz in the second inning. With no outs and a runner — who reached on an error — at second base, Diaz hit a fly ball into deep left-center that left fielder Jose Marmolejos lost in the sun, the ball bouncing off the warning track and over the fence to score a run.

Mariners starter Nick Margevicius didn’t allow another baserunner before having to leave with an apparent left arm injury in the fifth.

Relievers Ljay Newsome (1-0), Casey Sadler, Anthony Misiewicz, Rafael Montero and Drew Steckenrider combined for five hitless innings.

Margevicius allowed two runs (one earned) on the one hit, with one walk and three strikeouts.

Facing the Astros’ Chas McCormick leading off the fifth, Margevicius threw a pitch in the dirt and one nearly over catcher Tom Murphy’s head before getting a called strike. Another pitch that nearly sailed over Murphy was the last that Margevicius threw, with Murphy coming out to the mound followed by a trainer and Mariners manager Scott Servais.

McCormick stole second off Newsome, moved to third on a flyout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Myles Straw to give Houston a 2-1 advantage.

The Mariners scored four times in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead for good. The key hit was Haniger’s two-run triple, which went off the heel of center fielder Straw’s glove as he tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch in front of the wall in the deepest part of the park.

Left-hander Brooks Raley replaced starter Jake Odorizzi (0-2) and gave up France’s homer to left-center field.

Haniger and France added run-scoring doubles in the seventh.

The Astros remained without second baseman Jose Altuve, third baseman Alex Bregman, designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, catcher Martín Maldonado and utility infielder Robel García, who are all on the injured list due to COVID-19 protocols.

–Field Level Media