Mariners 8, Astros 3
HOUSTON -- Logan Morrison sparked a late-inning rally for a second consecutive game and the Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 8-3 on Wednesday night in the rubber game of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park.
The Mariners (63-71) had dropped six of seven games in Houston this season before becoming the first team since the Chicago White Sox in late May to take a series from the Astros (73-61) at Minute Maid Park.
The eighth inning in the series finale played out like a reenactment of Tuesday night, with Astros right-hander Pat Neshek (3-5) entering a tie game and coming apart with Morrison at the plate as the pinch hitter.
Morrison didn't homer but instead rallied from a two-strike hole to work a leadoff walk. Neshek followed by fielding the sacrifice bunt attempt from catcher Jesus Sucre and air-mailing the throw over second baseman Jose Altuve, who was covering first base. Mariners center fielder Shawn O’Malley followed with his third hit -- and second RBI single -- and Seattle added a run three batters later.
In the bottom of the inning, third baseman Jed Lowrie reached third base with no outs and, for a second consecutive night, the Astros failed to draw closer in that exact situation as shortstop Carlos Correa popped out, designated hitter Evan Gattis flied out to shallow right, and right fielder Colby Rasmus struck out against Tom Wilhelmsen.
Morrison added a three-run homer, his 15th home run this season, off Astros right-hander Josh Fields to end the drama in the top of the ninth. Right-hander Carson Smith (2-5) struck out Altuve to end the seventh with two runners in scoring position. Wilhelmsen logged his eighth save.
Kazmir was undone in part by two outfielders getting their first at-bats in the majors this season after benefiting from roster expansion.
With two outs in the second inning, Mariners right fielder Stefen Romero reached on a two-out single and scored when O'Malley delivered an RBI single two batters later.
From that point, Kazmir scuffled, surrendering a leadoff single to Kyle Seager in the third, a run-scoring double to Franklin Gutierrez with two outs later that inning, and a leadoff double to Seager in the fifth two batters before Robinson Cano delivered an RBI single.
Kazmir departed after the Cano hit, recording his shortest outing with the Astros since his acquisition before the non-waiver trade deadline: 4 1/3 innings with three runs, seven hits and two walks.
Walker wasn't quite as erratic, but when Kazmir departed, the score was knotted at 3 despite his woes. The first three Astros reached against Walker in the second, with first baseman Luis Valbuena following an RBI single from left fielder Preston Tucker with a sacrifice fly that scored center fielder Carlos Gomez.
In the third inning, Gattis and Jed Lowrie combined to scratch a run across on Walker, with Gattis' two-out opposite-field single to right scoring Lowrie after Lowrie reached on a one-out double to left-center.
NOTES: The Mariners optioned INF Jesus Montero to Triple-A Tacoma to give him regular at-bats. He hit .200 (15-for-75) with five runs, five doubles, two homers and nine RBIs in 25 games, including a .185/.185/.354 line since his last recall on July 31. He will return to the club on Sept. 8. ... The Astros recalled OF Preston Tucker from Triple-A Fresno, where he spent 10 days to reclaim his swing. He hit .152/.188/.304 with two home runs and two RBIs in 13 games last month before being optioned Aug. 22. ... Astros RHP Scott Feldman had an injection to offset irritation and inflammation in his right shoulder after an MRI on Wednesday revealed no structural damage. Feldman, pulled in the third inning Tuesday night after complaining of shoulder discomfort, will miss at least one start.