George Kirby recorded a season-high seven strikeouts, and Julio Rodriguez launched a home run as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Houston Astros 3-1 on Monday to open a four-game series in Houston.
Kirby (5-2) continued his impressive history against the Astros, entering his 11th career regular-season start against them with a 5-1 record and a 2.17 ERA. While he pitched only five innings—a season low—he maintained his high standard of performance.
The Astros collected seven hits off Kirby, all singles. Jose Altuve had two singles but was erased in the first inning when Yordan Alvarez grounded into a double play. Isaac Paredes went 3-for-3 against Kirby, including an RBI single in the fifth that scored Altuve. However, Kirby struck out Christian Walker to end the first and third innings after Paredes singled each time. In the fifth, after Altuve, Alvarez, and Paredes strung together three consecutive one-out singles, Kirby induced back-to-back fielder’s choice grounders to limit the damage.
Cam Smith became the second right-handed hitter to draw a walk from Kirby, doing so in the second and fourth innings. Kirby stranded Smith at second in the second and struck out three batters in the third to escape a bases-loaded jam.
Kirby matched his season high with 99 pitches and did not retire the Astros in order in any of his five innings, but he allowed just one run and two walks.
Astros right-hander Peter Lambert (2-3) matched his career high with seven innings for the second straight start. But the Mariners grabbed two runs in the top of the second when Dominic Canzone and Cole Young, batting eighth and ninth, delivered back-to-back two-out RBI singles to score Randy Arozarena and Luke Raley.
Rodriguez, who narrowly missed a home run in his first at-bat, crushed an 0-2 fastball from Lambert 414 feet to left field to lead off the third inning—his seventh homer of the season—extending the lead to 3-0.
Seattle closer Andres Munoz, the fourth reliever used by the Mariners, earned his eighth save by striking out Alvarez and stranding Altuve (3-for-5) on first base.
