Mariners at Astros
The Houston Astros lost nine of 11 games heading into their series against the Seattle Mariners, and the defeats may have kept coming had it not been for Yuli Gurriel's extra-inning heroics. Gurriel and the Astros look to complete a three-game sweep when they host the Mariners on Sunday.
Gurriel belted a solo homer with one out in the 10th inning of the series opener to give Houston a 2-1 victory and came up huge again Saturday, delivering an RBI double in the 10th that resulted in a 6-5 triumph. The 35-year-old Cuban has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 contests and is 9-for-24 during his six-game hitting streak. Domingo Santana homered and drove in two runs while Daniel Vogelbach belted a solo shot in the seventh inning Saturday to forge a tie for Seattle, which battled back from a 5-2 deficit before suffering its third straight loss. Tim Beckham also went deep for the Mariners, who had won six of seven prior to their current slide.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Marco Gonzales (9-6, 4.34 ERA) vs. Astros RH Gerrit Cole (7-5, 3.42)
After being battered by the Los Angeles Angels on June 2 for 10 runs over 4 2/3 innings en route to his sixth consecutive loss, Gonzales has been superb, allowing fewer than three earned runs in four straight turns - all victories. The latest triumph came at Milwaukee on Tuesday, when the 27-year-old native of Colorado gave up three runs (two earned) and eight hits in five frames. Gonzales is 0-2 with an 8.36 ERA in four career games (three starts) against Houston, including a no-decision on April 14 in which he permitted two runs over 5 1/3 innings.
Cole has given up fewer than three earned runs in each of his last six starts but has recorded only three wins in that span. The 28-year-old Californian, who leads the American League with 151 strikeouts, defeated his former Pittsburgh team Tuesday as he allowed one run and seven hits in six innings but fanned a season-low three. Cole permitted two runs and four hits while registering 11 strikeouts over six frames in a victory at Seattle on April 14 to improve to 3-2 with a 2.41 ERA in six career turns versus the Mariners.
WALK-OFFS
1. Mariners 3B Kyle Seager went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored after missing three games with a sore right wrist.
2. Houston OF George Springer has gone 7-for-20 in five contests since returning from a strained hamstring.
3. Seattle sent RHP Sam Tuivailala (Achilles) to Double-A Arkansas for a rehab assignment.