Final
  for this game

Mariners-Astros Preview

Aug 31, 2015 - 1:48 AM The Houston Astros are entering their second-to-last homestand with the right man set to take the mound.

Dallas Keuchel could have as many as four home starts remaining depending on how Houston aligns its rotation, and the first comes Monday night against a Seattle Mariners club which has chosen to rest its ace.

Keuchel (15-6, 2.28 ERA) can become the first to win his first 12 home decisions since Johan Santana went 12-0 in 17 starts for Minnesota in 2006. While Santana won the Cy Young, his 2.19 home ERA doesn't quite rival Keuchel's 1.35 mark entering this contest.

The left-hander is 11-0 in 14 home starts, and the only pitcher to finish with at least 11 wins, no losses and an ERA under 1.50 at home dating to 1914 is Orel Hershiser. The Los Angeles Dodgers' former ace went 11-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 17 starts and two relief appearances at Chavez Ravine in 1985.

In Tuesday's 15-1 win at the New York Yankees, Keuchel gave up three hits with nine strikeouts in seven scoreless innings to become the first AL pitcher to 15 wins and first Houston arm to get there since Roy Oswalt went 17-10 in 2008.

Since that loss to the AL West-leading Astros, the Yankees have scored 40 runs in four games, while Seattle's 3.9 per game rank 13th in the AL.

"(The Yankees have) got a lot of guys that are professional over there and know what they're doing, and I'm lucky enough to have some good quality innings against them," Keuchel told MLB's official website.

The Mariners, however, are one of two teams to tag him with five runs this season in a 6-3 final in Seattle on June 20. The 27-year-old lasted six innings and gave up home runs to Nelson Cruz, Mark Trumbo and Seth Smith as he fell to 3-4 with a 2.88 ERA in eight appearances in the series. Cruz (6 for 12), Trumbo (5 for 10) and Smith (4 for 12) have all homered off him twice, but Robinson Cano is 2 for 16.

The pitching matchup would have been great had Felix Hernandez kept his spot in the rotation, but Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon elected to rest him and go with Vidal Nuno.

"I did the same thing last year to freshen my pitchers up and Felix had the best September of his career," McClendon said. "Everybody thought I was nuts when I did, and I'll do it again because it's the right thing to do."

Nuno (0-1, 3.21 ERA) pitched an inning of scoreless relief Wednesday following a four-start stretch in which he went 0-1 with a 4.58 ERA. The left-hander has a 1.50 ERA in six relief innings against Houston.

The Astros (72-59) fell 7-5 in Minnesota on Sunday, dropping two of three in the series as their division lead was trimmed to three over streaking Texas. The lineup was up and down on a 3-3 trip while being shut out twice, but it could be getting healthier soon.

George Springer (broken wrist) is on a rehab assignment, and Carlos Correa has missed four consecutive games with a sore hamstring but could play Monday.

"I'm really close," Correa said. "I just don't want to force it and then miss September baseball."

The Mariners (61-70) lost 6-5 at the Chicago White Sox on Sunday but have been hitting better lately with 5.4 runs and a .297 average over a 5-3 span.

Austin Jackson was a double away from the cycle, has a nine-game hitting streak and is batting .394 in his last 18. Kyle Seager also had three hits and is 8 for 15 with homers in three straight games.








  • SEATTLE: 3
    HOUSTON: 8
    Final

    Aug 31 11:00 PM


  • Mark Trumbo homers to center field. Franklin Gutierrez scores.

    Mariners 3, Astros 8  Top 9, 1 OutAug 31 10:59 PM


  • Trumbo homered to left on a 0-2 count, Gutierrez scored.

    Mariners 3, Astros 8  Top 9, 1 OutAug 31 10:58 PM
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    Mariners 3, Astros 8  Top 9, 1 OutAug 31 10:58 PM


  • Lowrie grounded into fielder's choice, third baseman Seager to second baseman Cano, Gattis scored, C.Gomez out.

    Mariners 1, Astros 8  Bot 7, 2 OutsAug 31 10:34 PM


  • Jed Lowrie reaches on a fielder's choice to third base. Carlos Gomez out at second. Evan Gattis scores.

    Mariners 1, Astros 8  Bot 7, 1 OutAug 31 10:34 PM


  • C.Gomez singled to left, Ma.Gonzalez scored, Gattis to third.

    Mariners 1, Astros 7  Bot 7, 1 OutAug 31 10:30 PM


  • Carlos Gomez singles to left field. Evan Gattis to third. Marwin Gonzalez scores.

    Mariners 1, Astros 7  Bot 7, 1 OutAug 31 10:30 PM


  • Gattis doubled to center, Altuve scored, Ma.Gonzalez to third.

    Mariners 1, Astros 6  Bot 7, 1 OutAug 31 10:29 PM


  • Evan Gattis doubles to deep right center field. Marwin Gonzalez to third. Jose Altuve scores.

    Mariners 1, Astros 6  Bot 7, 1 OutAug 31 10:29 PM
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    Mariners 1, Astros 5  Bot 7, 0 OutsAug 31 10:20 PM
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    Mariners 1, Astros 5  Top 7, 1 OutAug 31 10:17 PM


  • Correa homered to center on a 1-1 count, Altuve scored.

    Mariners 1, Astros 5  Bot 5, 1 OutAug 31 9:49 PM


  • Carlos Correa homers to center field. Jose Altuve scores.

    Mariners 1, Astros 5  Bot 5, 1 OutAug 31 9:49 PM


  • Conger homered to left on the first pitch.

    Mariners 1, Astros 3  Bot 4, 2 OutsAug 31 9:29 PM


  • Hank Conger homers to left field.

    Mariners 1, Astros 3  Bot 4, 2 OutsAug 31 9:29 PM


  • Lowrie homered to right on a 0-1 count.

    Mariners 1, Astros 2  Bot 4, 1 OutAug 31 9:27 PM
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    Mariners 1, Astros 2  Bot 4, 1 OutAug 31 9:27 PM


  • Jed Lowrie homers to right field.

    Mariners 1, Astros 2  Bot 4, 1 OutAug 31 9:27 PM
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    Mariners 1, Astros 1  Bot 4, 1 OutAug 31 9:26 PM
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    Mariners 1, Astros 1  Top 4, 2 OutsAug 31 9:20 PM


  • Trumbo homered to right on the first pitch.

    Mariners 1, Astros 1  Top 2, 2 OutsAug 31 8:36 PM


  • Mark Trumbo homers to right field.

    Mariners 1, Astros 1  Top 2, 2 OutsAug 31 8:36 PM


  • Gattis hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder N.Cruz, Ma.Gonzalez scored, Correa to third.

    Mariners 0, Astros 1  Bot 1, 2 OutsAug 31 8:27 PM


  • Evan Gattis out on a sacrifice fly to right field to Nelson Cruz. Carlos Correa to third. Marwin Gonzalez scores.

    Mariners 0, Astros 1  Bot 1, 1 OutAug 31 8:27 PM




  • Aug 31 8:13 PM


  • SEATTLE: 0
    HOUSTON: 0
    Top 1, 0 Outs

    Aug 31 8:12 PM
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    Mariners vs. AstrosJun 20 8:31 AM
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    Mariners vs. AstrosMay 7 7:13 PM
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    Mariners vs. AstrosDec 28 8:32 AM