HOUSTON � They were both playing the same game, but at two completely different levels. The two teams couldn't seem more different in their talent, their performance and the direction they are heading.
Even cursory baseball knowledge would lead you to believe that this series in Houston wasn't going to go well for Seattle. The Astros are everything the Mariners aren't, but one day hope to be.
And after Friday's shellacking at Minute Maid Park, the distance for Seattle's "step-back" realization of success seems just a little farther than before.
The Astros clobbered six home runs, including four off Seattle starter Yusei Kikuchi, rolling to a decisive 10-2 victory over a Mariners team that looked overwhelmed for most of the game.
It was the 20th time this season that an opponent has scored 10 runs or more against Seattle.
"In this ballpark and they are at full strength right now, you have to make pitches and locate," manager Scott Servais said.
Houston has won five of its last six games to improve to 71-40 � the best record in the American League. The Mariners dropped their second straight game to fall to 47-65, which isn't the worst record in the American League because other teams are trying harder to lose.
But given the state of the Mariners' pitching staff, the Astros' juggernaut offense and the bandbox that is Minute Maid Park, this has all the makings to be a very lopsided series.
Kikuchi's season of mostly struggles and short spots of success continued with a predictable result. With a slider that showed minimal bite and a lifeless fastball that he couldn't seem to locate, Kikuchi was rocked for six runs on nine hits, including the four homers, with no walks and a strikeout to fall to 4-8 on the season. Of his 77 pitches thrown, Kikuchi got swings and misses on just two pitches � a pair of curveballs.
Kikuchi put up a scoreless first inning, but it was a 17-pitch ordeal and it was clear that Houston hitters were on him from his very first pitch, which was a single from George Springer.
It became more apparent when Yordan Alvarez led off the second inning with a solo homer to deep left-center. Kikuchi threw a slider that seemingly had no break. Alvarez, a massive human being and the latest Houston masher, pulverized the gift pitch for a 427-foot homer.
Later with two outs in the inning, Jake Marsinick, the No. 9 hitter, launched a towering fly ball into the Crawford Boxes in left field for a two-run homer and a 3-0 lead. Kikuchi threw 29 pitches in the inning.
Kikuchi came back with a scoreless third inning, but it was just a brief pause of success.
With his jersey soaked all the way through with sweat, Kikuchi made it just one more inning. Another ineffective slider from Kikuchi resulted in solo homer for Martin Maldonado and a 4-0 lead. Later with two outs, Springer tripled and watched as Jose Altuve hammered a misplaced fastball into the Crawford Boxes for a two-run homer. Kikuchi was able to get out of the inning, but his night was done.
He's now allowed 28 homers in 118 innings pitched. That's tied for the most in MLB with Justin Verlander, who has allowed 28 homers in 151 2/3 innings pitched.
There was always going to be an adjustment for Kikuchi. The hitters in the league have more power up and down the lineup. His mistakes are magnified. And he seems to be wilting down the stretch. It would seem like an optimal time for a shortened start for him. But Seattle is currently using a four-man staff because of the multiple off days over the next few weeks.
Seattle brought in rookie right-hander Reggie McClain to pitch the fifth inning and make his MLB debut. He was the 60th player used by the Mariners this season and the 37th pitcher.
McClain got a rough introduction to the big leagues. After getting Alex Bregman to fly out to right, he walked Alvarez and then gave up an opposite-field homer to Carlos Correa. Aledmys Diaz followed with a solo homer to left that made it 9-0.
To McClain's credit, he regrouped and struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
When the Mariners brought in Zac Grotz in the seventh inning, he was the 61st player used and 38th pitcher. The 61 players used ties a club record set in 2017. With the debut of McClain and Grotz, the Mariners now have had 15 players make their big-league debuts this season.
Meanwhile the Mariners did little against old "friend" Wade Miley. The veteran lefty, who spent a half season with Seattle, tossed six innings, allowing two runs on just three hits with five walks and six strikeouts.
"He was throwing a lot of offspeed pitches," Servais said. "He just doesn't give in. We got the pitch count up and got some walks and didn't do much in squaring balls up against him. He stays out of the strikezone or at least the big part of the strikezone. Changeups and cutters, that's what he does."
Seattle's lone offensive highlight was Daniel Vogelbach's two-run homer into left field in the sixth inning. It was Vogelbach's 26th homer of the season.
