SEATTLE _ After two days of frustrating defeats, the Mariners found their missing offense and got a solid start from Ariel Miranda to salvage a win in the three-game series with Astros on Sunday.
The Mariners' 7-3 win over Houston improved their record to 79-70 and kept them on pace in the American League wild-card race.
Miranda pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on three hits with a walk and a career-high eight strikeouts to improve to 5-1. Miranda's two runs came off solo homers. With a 2-0 lead, George Springer crushed a two-out homer into The 'Pen. And later with Seattle leading 7-1, Carlos Correa hit a deep blast into left-center for his 20th homer of the season to cut the lead to 7-2.
With Kyle Seager's first-inning, two-run double to right center, the Mariners doubled the amount of runs they had scored in the previous two games against the Astros.
And they weren't satisfied with the accomplishment, continuing to add to their total throughout the game, thanks in large part to Seth Smith.
The veteran left-handed hitter belted a solo homer in the third inning and a three-run homer in the Mariners' four-run fourth inning to give Seattle a 7-1 lead.
Houston tacked on a run against the Mariners' bullpen, specifically Tom Wilhelmsen, in the eighth inning. But Steve Cishek stopped any further damage, getting Jose Altuve to ground out to end the inning, stranding a pair of runners in scoring position.
Edwin Diaz worked a 1-2-3 ninth in the non-save situation.
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