Raley hits three-run homer to help Mariners overcome injury to Rodriguez and beat Astros 6-4

SEATTLE (AP) — Luke Raley hit a three-run homer, Bryan Woo pitched 5 2/3 solid innings and the Seattle Mariners overcame an injury to Julio Rodríguez to beat the Houston Astros 6-4 on Sunday.

Rodríguez left the game with two outs in the sixth inning after he leapt for a flyball and appeared to twist his right ankle against the pad of the center field fence on a triple by Yordan Alvarez, who hit for the cycle.

Rodriguez grabbed at his ankle in pain and stayed on the ground for several minutes before walking off the field with manager Scott Servais and trainer Taylor Bennett. Servais said initial X-rays were negative.

“He's got a little bit of an ankle sprain there," Servais said. "Right now what I've been told is it's going to be day-to-day. We'll see where it's at there.”

Servais added that Rodríguez would likely get an MRI.

“We'll take all precautions there and make sure he's 100% before he gets back out there,” Servais said.

The hit against Taylor Saucedo was the third of the game for Alvarez, who also had a first-inning single and a fourth-inning homer against Woo. Alvarez completed the cycle with a double in the eighth against Mariners reliever Gregory Santos.

“I’m very excited,” Alvarez said. “I felt a little bit of pressure there, but I knew I needed a double and when I hit the ball, I said, ‘there it is.'"

It was the first cycle of Alvarez's career and the 10th in Astros history.

“That’s not easy to do, especially for a slugger,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “It tells you how athletic he is. Able to hit, that looked like 500 feet on that homer, and then able to triple, just tells you not only how good of a hitter he is, but how athletic he is.”

Woo (4-1) retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced, and allowed only two hits over his first five innings. Woo ended his day with four hits and two earned runs allowed, with no walks and five strikeouts.

“I think I just did a better job of controlling what I could control,” Woo said. “Getting back to a very simple, basic approach going into games, and not trying to complicate things.”

Dylan Moore put the Mariners ahead in the second inning with a two-run triple off Astros starter Ronel Blanco (9-5). After Alvarez made it a one-run game with his 429-foot blast in the fourth, Jorge Polanco hit a solo homer for Seattle in the bottom half of the inning to make it 3-1.

The Astros scored again when Alvarez drove in Mauricio Dubón on his sixth-inning triple, but Raley clubbed his three-run shot in the bottom half to give Seattle a four-run lead.

Jeremy Peña hit a solo homer for the Astros in the seventh and Chas McCormick hit an RBI single in the eighth.

Andrés Muñoz pitched the ninth for his 16th save.

The win snapped a five-game losing streak and put the Mariners into a tie with Houston for the AL West Division lead.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHPs Justin Verlander (neck discomfort) and Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery) both felt good after throwing bullpens on Saturday, and Espada said the plan is for both to throw again sometime in the next couple of days.

ROSTER MOVE

The Mariners traded RHP Mike Baumann to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday for cash considerations.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-7, 5.63 ERA) will pitch Monday in Houston’s series opener at Oakland.

Mariners: RHP Bryce Miller (7-7, 3.63 ERA) will start Monday against Angels lefty Tyler Anderson. Miller has a 4.46 ERA in his past seven starts, with 10 walks and 27 strikeouts.

Seattle Mariners' Andres Munoz delivers a pitch during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez hits a single during the first inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez hits a one-run triple during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Seattle Mariners centerfielder Julio Rodriguez, center, is helped from the field by manager Scott Servais, right, and a team trainer during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Seattle Mariners Julio Rodriguez, center, lies on the ground between right fielder Victor Robles, left, and left fielder Dylan Moore after crashing into the outfield wall during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Seattle Mariners' Luke Raley, right, celebrates with Dylan Moore after hitting a three-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña homered as the Houston Astros improved to 7-0 in games started by Yusei Kikuchi by beating the scuffling Arizona Diamondbacks 11-5 on Saturday.

Altuve had three hits and scored three times. Peña’s 15th homer was a three-run shot, capping a five-run sixth inning that started with the Astros clinging to a one-run lead.

Houston entered with a 4 1/2-game lead in the AL West over Seattle.

Arizona, which has dropped three straight and seven of 10, began the day leading the Braves and Mets by 1 1/2 games for the second National League wild card.

Kikuchi (8-9) allowed four runs and seven hits over six innings. He struck out six, giving him a career-high 183 strikeouts this season.

The left-hander has a 3.07 ERA since joining the Astros in a trade from the Toronto Blue Jays on July 29, with a 32.1% strikeout rate.

Kevin Newman homered off Kikuchi in the fourth to put Arizona up 3-1, but Houston rallied for four runs against Eduardo Rodriguez in the bottom half.

Rodriguez (2-2) faced 10 batters and needed 47 pitches to get through the inning. Houston loaded the bases without a hit, and Chas McCormick tied the game with a two-run single. Yordan Alvarez’s two-out RBI single put the Astros on top and, after an error, Alex Bregman capped the flurry with a bases-loaded walk.

Alvarez finished with three hits and is batting .410 with 13 RBIs over his last 10 games.

Eugenio Suárez hit his 25th homer in the sixth to bring Arizona within a run, but the Astros broke open the game with the help of Peña’s three-run drive into the Astros' bullpen in right-center field.

Dylan Floro was charged with all five Houston runs in the sixth.

Rodriguez gave up five runs, four earned, and seven hits over four innings with one strikeout.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: C José Herrera returned to the lineup after he was removed from Friday’s game when he was hit on the back of the helmet by Kyle Tucker’s follow-through on a strikeout.

Astros: After returning from a 79-game absence Friday due to a fractured right shin, RF Kyle Tucker did not start but was available off the bench. ... INF Mauricio Dubón is dealing with a sore left thumb, which forced him out of Friday’s game after he jammed it diving into first base.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Justin Verlander (3-5, 4.52 ERA) opposes RHP Ryne Nelson (10-6, 4.15) when the series concludes Sunday night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez runs to second after hitting a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi follows through on a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez throws against the Houston Astros during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Arizona Diamondbacks' Kevin Newman hits an RBI single against the Houston Astros during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Ben Gamel slides to score on Yordan Alvarez's RBI single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jake Meyers (6) slides past Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Jose Herrera to score on Chas McCormick's 2-run single during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve, right, and Jeremy Pena celebrate the team's win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi questions a call during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena celebrates his three-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve watches his solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)