HOUSTON _ It took all of three games � the first three of this shortened 2020 Major League Baseball season � but this year's version of the Seattle Mariners did something that last season's team couldn't do in 10 games � beat the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
Of course, it couldn't be an easy victory. Last year's team endured three walk-off losses to Houston.
Given a two-run lead, right-hander Taylor Williams, who was claimed off waivers from the Brewers during spring training, was asked to notch his first career save. He allowed a run on a double to Michael Brantley, but came back to strike out Alex Bregman to end the game and secure a 7-6 victory.
For those who weren't counting, the win snaps a 15-game losing streak to the Astros, including 12 consecutive losses at Minute Maid.
With all clubhouses limited to players, coaches and staff that are considered Tier 1 by Major League Baseball's current protocols to battle the spread of COVID-19, manager Scott Servais tried to offer a description of the atmosphere following the season's first victory.
"That's a happy clubhouse," he said.
But the screams and yelling that permeated from the clubhouse and making their way into the audio of his postgame video media session also offered a pretty good indicator.
The Mariners blew a three-run lead, allowing four runs in the fourth inning. But they showed some moxie, rallying from the 5-4 deficit with three runs in the eighth inning. Shed Long Jr. tied the game with a RBI single to right field and Kyle Lewis, who has been outstanding in the first three games of the season, delivered the winning runs with a two-out, two-run single to right field.
Seattle's largely inexperienced bullpen, which is expected to struggle this season, allowed the comeback to happen, keeping the Astros lead to just one run. Seattle got scoreless innings from Matt Magill (fifth), Carl Edwards Jr. (sixth), Dan Altavilla (seventh) and rookie Anthony Misiewicz (eighth).
The Mariners got an uneven, but hopeful start from Yusei Kikuchi. It's something the endured from outing to outing and even inning to inning last season. But there was more reason to hope in Kikuchi's first start of the 2020 season.
Using a shorter arm swing and refined mechanics that he worked on this past offseason with Driveline Baseball in Kent and input from the Mariners' pitching coaches, Kikuchi showed significant consistent velocity increase with his fastball, which sat at 94-96 mph and touched 98 on multiple occasions. He also flashed an improved changeup that had more deception and movement in the past.
He allowed a first inning run and then came back with two solid innings. But when his teammates turned a 2-1 lead into a 4-1 lead in the top fourth on RBI doubles from Mallex Smith and Long Jr., Kikuchi had anything but a shutdown bottom of the inning. The command of pitches, particularly his fastball, vanished for most of the inning.
Kikuchi walked Jose Altuve, gave up a single to Michael Brantley, walked Alex Bregman and gave up a RBI single to Yuli Gurriel. He staved off the looming disasters by striking out Carlos Correa and Taylor Jones, flashing that 98 mph heater. But he couldn't avoid the implosion. He walked Josh Reddick to force in a run and then gave up a two-run single to Martin Maldonado to end his outing and leave with a 5-4 deficit.
