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Mariners take down Astros to win series

May 5, 2014 - 12:40 AM Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Robinson Cano and Willie Bloomquist each had two RBI as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Houston Astros, 8-7, in the rubber match of a three-game set.

John Buck collected three hits with an RBI, while Dustin Ackley, Michael Saunders and Corey Hart each knocked in a run for Seattle, which has won five of its last six.

Brandon Maurer (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, allowing four runs on six hits with three strikeouts over five innings. Danny Farquhar pitched the final two innings to earn his first save of the season.

"I definitely just stuck with Buck," said Maurer. "Whatever he was going with I was throwing. I have confidence in him. He's done this a long time."

Jonathan Villar and Alex Presley homered for the Astros, who have lost four of their last five. Marc Krauss and Chris Carter each knocked in a pair of runs in the setback.

Collin McHugh (2-1) lasted just four frames, taking his first loss in a Houston uniform after surrendering six runs -- five earned -- with four strikeouts.

McHugh allowed just one earned run in his first two starts, pitching 15 1/3 innings with 19 strikeouts.

"Honestly, (I) didn't execute pitches very well," said McHugh. "That's what it comes down to. Most of the guys in the (Seattle) lineup I knew pretty well, just missed with a couple of pitches here and there."

Saunders led off the game with a single, then reached third after an error on a pickoff attempt from McHugh.

Two batters later, Cano plated Saunders with a groundout to first.

Presley drove a 3-2 fastball over the right-field wall in the second to tie the score at 1-1.

Seattle opened it up in the third with a four-run inning. Ackley walked to lead off the frame, and Buck followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position.

Following a Saunders' strikeout, Bloomquist doubled to right field to score Ackley and Buck. Cano then tripled before Hart singled to make it a 5-1 game after three.

Buck added another double with one out in the fourth and he immediately crossed home when Saunders poked a single into right.

Three straight two-out hits from Houston cut the deficit in half after four. Presley doubled and George Springer singled to left to put runners at the corners. Carter slammed a double off the out-of-town scoreboard that made it 6-3.

Ackley walked with the bases loaded walk in the fifth to push a run across and increase the cushion, but Villar got the run back with a solo shot in the home half of the inning.

Buck's single in the eighth plated Stefan Romero before the hosts tightened up the margin in the final innings.

Jason Castro singled to lead off the eighth for Houston, and Matt Dominguez followed with a ground-rule double. Krauss, who pinch-hit for Jesus Guzman after a pitching change for Seattle, ripped a single to right that plated two.

With two outs in the ninth and a runner on second, Castro singled up the middle to account for the final margin. Farquhar struck out Dominguez for the game's final out.

Game Notes

Seattle had 12 hits, while Houston had 11 ... The Mariners were 5-for-13 with runners in scoring position ... The Astros were 4-for-9 with RISP.