Mariners hammer Astros 10-4

A 445 foot homerun by George Springer gave the Astros an early lead, but the Mariners would tee off on Collin McHugh and Josh Zeid to turn Monday night’s game into a blowout.

Springer’s 2-run blast off Taijuan Walker in the first inning put Houston ahead 2-0. That must have seemed like ten runs to McHugh. The Astros had been shut out in each of his last two starts. Unfortunately, Collin couldn’t make the early lead stand up. Mike Zunino tied the game with a 2-run homer to the Crawford Boxes in the top of the second.

Marwin Gonzalez put the home team back on top with a towering homerun off the rightfield foul pole in the bottom of the second. But the momentum would soon swing back into Seattle’s favor. A 3-run shot by Brad Miller in the fourth put the Mariners ahead to stay. Robinson Cano and Michael Saunders also went deep for Seattle.

Making his first big league start of the year, Walker cruised through six innings. Seattle’s 21-year old right-hander held the Astros to five hits and two walks while logging six strikeouts en route to the win. Tom Wilhelmsen pitched the final three innings and was credited with his first save of the year.

Alex Presley had two of Houston’s four hits. Jose Altuve was held hitless. Altuve reached base on a hit-by-pitch and stole his league leading 37th base of the season.

The Astros will try to even up the series tomorrow at 7:10 p.m. Jarred Cosart (8-5, 3.60) gets the start for Houston. Hisashi Iwakuma (5-4, 3.48) goes for the Mariners.