SEATTLE _ The Mariners got more than they could have hoped for from starter Ariel Miranda, who was called up from Tacoma to start Tuesday night against Houston.
But the Mariners got more than they wanted from Astros starter and nemesis Lance McCullers _ and less than they needed from their own bullpen _ and it added up to a 4-1 loss to Houston at Safeco Field.
The key blow came in the sixth inning when Dan Altavilla entered in relief of Miranda. He allowed a leadoff walk to Evan Gattis, then a long homer to Brian McCann to break a 1-1 tie and soon after the Astros had evened the series at a game apiece.
Houston (11-7), which had beaten the Mariners (9-6) in six straight games before losing the series opener, moved past Seattle into second place in the American League West.
But that didn't diminish Miranda's effort. Mariners manager Scott Servais expected Miranda to be "fired up" for his first start of the season with Seattle.
And why not? The lefty was facing the team he threw six no-hit innings against last September, and with it all but certain he would be heading back to the minors after making this start, he had nothing to lose.
"Hopefully he can give us five or six innings and that would be very successful," Servais said before the game.
Miranda was indeed very successful then, pitching out of trouble time and again to allow just one run in five innings despite allowing 10 base runners.
McCullers, meanwhile, cruised, keeping the Mariners completely off balance and throwing one of the best games of his big-league career, which began in 2015.
He entered with a 7.71 ERA but found a cure against the team he has had the most success against. He has always confounded the Mariners with his breaking ball, entering with a 5-2 record and a 2.96 ERA against the Mariners, his most wins against any team.
He added to that total, allowing just one hit and one walk in seven innings while striking out a career-high tying 11.
The only hit he allowed was a long one. Robinson Cano gave the Mariners a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a line drive just into the seats in right-center field for his first home run of the season. It was the 302nd homer of Cano's career, tying him with Rogers Hornsby for second most for primarily second baseman (Jeff Kent leads with 377).
But that was it for Seattle, which was outhit 9-3.
Meanwhile, Miranda kept working out of trouble, but his best escape act might have come in the second inning. Houston had scored the tying run and had the bases loaded with one out. But just when the game was on the verge of getting away from Miranda, he struck out Jake Marisnick and George Springer to end the inning.
But in the end, McCann's blast and too much McCullers made Miranda's good work all for naught.
