Well, at least they didn’t get no-hit?
In the search to find positives in the Mariners’ impotent showing at the plate in a 2-0 defeat Tuesday against the Astros, avoiding the additional humiliation of being held without a hit is a bonus.
If you recall, the last time the Mariners were no-hit, it came at Houston’s Minute Maid Park on Aug. 3, 2019.
But if Kyle Seager wasn’t in the lineup Tuesday night, Seattle might have suffered a similar fate.
The veteran third baseman provided the Mariners’ only two hits in the game – a first-inning single and a third-inning double. It was the fourth time the Mariners have been held scoreless this season.
They are now 1-8 in games when they score four runs or fewer as compared to a 12-3 record when they score four or more runs.
Wait, they’ve scored four runs or more in 15 games this season? It sure doesn’t feel that way.
Astros starter Cristian Javier pitched seven shutout innings, allowing just the two hits to Seager with three walks and six strikeouts. And pitchers Brookes Raley and Ryan Pressly each worked scoreless frames to secure the Houston shutout.
The lack of offense squandered another solid showing for Marco Gonzales.
Gonzales pitched six innings, allowing two runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts. He cruised through the first two innings in order and worked around a one-out walk for a scoreless third. In the fourth inning, Michael Brantley led off with a single and Alex Bregman followed with a double to left field. Brantley would later score on a sacrifice fly while Bregman made it 2-0 when he was able get home on Kyle Tucker’s infield single with two outs.
