Mariners at Astros
Justin Verlander is off to a fast start with his new club and hopes to make a good first impression on the home crowd Sunday as the Houston Astros host the Seattle Mariners. Verlander, acquired from the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 31, is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts since joining the Astros, who are on the verge of winning their first division title since 2001.
Houston reduced its magic number to win the American League West to one with an 8-6 victory over Seattle on Saturday. Astros second baseman Jose Altuve continued his bid to win the AL MVP award by going 2-for-4 with two runs scored, raising his major league-leading average to .348 as he bids for his third AL batting title in four years. The Mariners' playoff hopes are flickering as they remained 3 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the AL's second wild card spot. Seattle gives the ball to rookie Andrew Moore, who has recorded two straight quality outings - both resulting in no-decisions, including one against Houston - since being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Andrew Moore (1-3, 5.36 ERA) vs. Astros RH Justin Verlander (12-8, 3.58)
Moore allowed only one hit - a solo home run to Delino DeShields - in six relief innings of Seattle's 5-3 loss in Texas on Monday. The 23-year-old Oregon native, who took the spot of the ineffective Ariel Miranda in the rotation, yielded two runs, three hits and two walks while striking out three in the Mariners' 5-3 setback against Houston on Sept. 6. Moore is 1-3 with a 5.27 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in seven career starts - all this season.
Verlander permitted one hit and one walk while striking out nine in eight innings of a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday after allowing a run, six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts across six innings of a 3-1 victory versus Seattle. The 34-year-old Virginia native is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in three turns versus the Mariners this season, and 11-8, 3.09 in 23 career starts. Robinson Cano is batting .283 with nine strikeouts in 53 at-bats versus Verlander while Nelson Cruz is 10-for-40 with seven strikeouts against him.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miranda (7-4, 4.15 ERA in 18 starts before the All-Star break, 1-3, 6.33 in 11 turns after) made his first relief appearance of the season Saturday, striking out one in a scoreless sixth inning.
2. Astros DH Carlos Beltran recorded his 1,078th extra-base hit - a double - Saturday to move into a tie for 24th all-time with Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.
3. Seattle RF Mitch Haniger (.277, 13 home runs, 42 RBIs) continued his torrid September by going 2-for-4 with a home run Saturday, giving him a .391 average with four home runs and nine RBIs this month.