Julio Rodríguez and Josh Rojas each delivered key RBI hits in a dramatic eighth-inning comeback, propelling the Seattle Mariners to a 4-2 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
Rodríguez’s pivotal infield single in the eighth inning gave the Mariners the lead, following Rojas’ RBI double. This sequence helped secure the victory, with Rodríguez’s single also leading to an additional run due to Alex Bregman’s throwing error, which allowed Rojas to score and Rodríguez to advance to second base.
The Mariners’ winning rally began with Mitch Haniger’s double. Jonatan Clase pinch-ran for Haniger, scoring on Rojas’ double down the first-base line after Ryan Bliss walked and J.P. Crawford struck out. Rodríguez then hit a dribbler to Bregman, whose throw to first baseman José Abreu went wide, allowing Rojas to score.
Astros manager Joe Espada acknowledged the significance of Haniger’s double and Bliss’s walk in the pivotal inning, highlighting the Astros’ missed opportunities to retire hitters.
Before Haniger’s double, the Astros had retired 15 straight Mariners hitters. Astros’ starter Hunter Brown pitched six strong innings, allowing just one run and four hits while striking out nine. Despite this, the Astros’ pitchers struck out 14 Mariners, with Brown retiring the final 12 batters he faced.
Rojas emphasized the importance of staying calm, even when trailing for most of the game, and credited the team’s resilience in rallying for the win.
Rodríguez started the scoring for the Mariners with an RBI single in the first inning. In the second inning, Luke Raley prevented a home run by robbing Jeremy Peña of a deep fly ball to left field.
Later, Bregman hit a two-run homer off Mariners’ starter Luis Castillo in the fourth inning. Castillo pitched six innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while striking out six.
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