The Seattle Mariners are flying high after a dominant 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night, extending their franchise-record winning streak against their division rivals to eight games. Julio Rodríguez led the charge with a solo home run, while Randy Arozarena chipped in with two hits to keep the offense rolling at Minute Maid Park.
The win comes at a crucial time for Seattle, who had dropped their last two games before this series opener. The Mariners wasted no time setting the tone, striking for two runs in the second inning. Dominic Canzone and Cole Young delivered back-to-back RBI singles, with Arozarena scoring the first run after a leadoff single and a walk to Luke Raley. Young's base knock pushed the lead to 2-0, giving the Mariners early momentum.
Rodríguez added to the excitement in the third inning, launching his seventh home run of the season to make it 3-0. The blast was a welcome sight for Seattle fans, as the young star continues to heat up after a slow start to the season.
On the mound, George Kirby turned in another solid performance, allowing seven hits and one run while striking out seven over five innings to improve to 5-2. Andrés Muñoz closed the door in the ninth, working around a two-out single from Jose Altuve to strike out Yordan Alvarez and earn his eighth save of the season.
Houston's offense struggled to find its rhythm, though Isaac Paredes tied a season high with three hits and drove in the Astros' only run. Jose Altuve also collected three hits, but it wasn't enough to prevent Houston's third straight loss. Starter Peter Lambert (2-3) battled through seven innings, allowing six hits and three runs while striking out six.
One storyline to watch: Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, last year's AL MVP runner-up, went 0-for-4 to extend his hitless streak to 0-for-36 since April 27. It's the longest hitless streak in the majors this season, and he came agonizingly close to breaking it in the ninth inning before left fielder Zach Cole made a sliding grab to rob him of a hit.
The series continues Tuesday night, with the Mariners sending right-hander Bryan Woo (2-2, 4.02 ERA) to the mound. The Astros will counter with righty Tatsuya Imai (1-0, 7.27 ERA), who is set to come off the injured list after missing more than a month with arm fatigue. Seattle will look to keep their historic streak alive and build on this impressive divisional run.