HOUSTON _ Nelson Cruz wasn't going to give in and get himself out. Yes, he was down two strikes to a guy throwing mid-90s fastballs on his first two pitches of the at-bat.
But with the game tied and the bases loaded, a strikeout would be the worst possible outcome short of a double play. The veteran designated hitter shrugged off three consecutive pitches out of the strike zone designed for a bad swing and miss.
He worked the count full and forced Ryan Pressly back into the strike zone. Cruz's discipline was rewarded. He got a 96-mph fastball in the middle of the plate, smacking it off the wall in deep left-center for a two-run double to spark a three-run eighth inning and a 5-2 Seattle victory Saturday night over the Astros at Minute Maid Park.
In back-to-back games, the Mariners have handed defeats to Houston's All-Star starting pitchers _ Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.
With one out in the eighth, Mitch Haniger stroked his second double of the game off of a tiring Cole, sending a shot off the facade of the Crawford Boxes in left field. Denard Span followed with a single to center, putting runners on the corners. Astros manager A.J. Hinch went to his bullpen, bringing in Pressly, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Twins.
On his very first pitch, Pressly hit Jean Segura on the hand with a fastball to load the bases and bring Cruz to the plate.
Following Cruz's double, Kyle Seager scored another run with a ground ball to second for a little cushion.
The three-run lead was held up by a scoreless eighth inning from Alex Colome and Edwin Diaz's 44th save in the ninth.
Mike Leake delivered a commendable performance. The veteran right-hander pitched six innings, allowing just two runs on eight hits with a walk and four strikeouts.
Leake held the Astros scoreless for the first four innings, using a big inning-ending double play to work out of a jam in the fourth.
The Astros grabbed a 2-0 lead in the fifth. With two outs and runners on first and second, Leake thought he had Tony Kemp struck out on a high fastball that was nearly identical to the pitch he threw previously that was called a strike by home plate umpire Doug Eddings. On the next pitch, Kemp bounced a ground ball up the middle to score the first run of the game. Alex Bregman made it 2-0, doubling off the wall in left to score Martin Maldonado.
The Mariners answered immediately against the hard-throwing Cole, who had befuddled and beaten them for the first five innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five.
Cameron Maybin led off with a crisp single to center and Dee Gordon drew a rare walk to set up the Mariners' hottest hitter of the past few days _ Haniger. The new leadoff hitter for Seattle smoked a double into the left-field corner to score Maybin. Span followed with an infield single that scored Gordon to make it 2-2.
It looked as if the Mariners would take a two-run lead when Seager hit a sinking line drive into center field. Instead, Houston centerfielder Jake Marisnick, who got a late read on the ball, closed the distance quickly and made a full lay-out dive, catching the ball just centimeters before it hit the outfield grass. It ended the inning and saved two runs.
