Julio Rodriguez Goes Deep, and the Mariners Just Made It Eight Straight Against Houston

The Mariners walked out of Houston with a 3-1 win Monday night, and honestly, it feels good to say that after dropping their last two games. Julio Rodriguez went yard, Randy Arozarena was all over the place at the plate, and Seattle extended something special: a franchise-record eight consecutive wins over the Astros. That's the kind of streak that makes you forget about the tough stretch real quick.

Rodriguez Does Rodriguez Things

Rodriguez opened the third inning with a solo shot that made it 3-0 Seattle. That's his seventh home run of the season, and it pretty much put this one out of reach early. It was the kind of power swing that reminds you why the Mariners have him batting out there day in and day out.

Before Rodriguez went deep, the Mariners had already gotten their bats going in the second. Arozarena singled with one out, and then Luke Raley drew a walk to put two on. With two outs, Dominic Canzone came through with an RBI single to make it 1-0. One batter later, Cole Young added his own RBI single to push it to 2-0. By the time Rodriguez stepped in the next inning, Seattle had already built the kind of cushion that makes pitchers sleep better at night.

Kirby and the Bullpen Hold It Down

George Kirby (5-2) was solid on the mound, allowing seven hits and just one run over five innings while striking out seven. He didn't go deep into the game, but he gave Seattle what it needed to get out of Houston with a W. The bullpen took it from there, with Andrés Muñoz closing it out with his eighth save of the season. Muñoz did allow a two-out single to Jose Altuve in the ninth, but he shut the door by striking out Yordan Alvarez.

Houston's Isaac Paredes had a decent night with three hits and drove in the Astros' only run, an RBI single in the fifth that cut it to 3-1. Altuve also chipped in three hits, but it wasn't enough to make a dent in Seattle's lead. Astros starter Peter Lambert (2-3) gave up six hits and three runs while fanning six over seven innings.

The Not-So-Good: Raleigh's Rough Stretch

Here's the one bummer in all this: Cal Raleigh went 0 for 4. That extends his hitless streak to 36 at-bats, the longest in the majors so far this season. His last hit came on April 27, which is tough to swallow for last year's AL MVP runner-up. He had a chance in the ninth when he nearly got a hit, but Zach Cole made a diving grab in left field to rob him and send him back to the dugout. That's the kind of streak that weighs on you, but with eight straight wins over Houston, there's plenty of momentum to carry him through it.

Looking Ahead to Round Two

The series continues Tuesday night with RHP Bryan Woo (2-2, 4.02 ERA) taking the ball for Seattle. Houston counters with RHP Tatsuya Imai (1-0, 7.27 ERA), who's coming off the injured list after more than a month away dealing with arm fatigue. It's another chance for the Mariners to keep rolling against a Astros team that's now dropped three straight.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.