Framber Valdez sparkles for six innings until Victor Caratini gets the winning RBI in the 12th
When two of the worst-hitting but best-pitching teams go head to head, nights like this happen.
I don’t know if it was stellar pitching or offensive futility, but the Astros, behind spotless starting pitching and near spotless relief, eked out game two against Seattle, 2-1.
Almost spotless relief.
For the second straight night, Manager Joe Espada sent reliever Talyler Scott in to protect a one-run lead. On both occasions, Scott blew the lead.
And on the second straight night, a sparkling Mariners defensive play was the difference between an Astros win and an Astros loss. Almost.
The Astros managed only one run in regulation. In the seventh inning, Yainer Diaz, who seemingly hasn’t had a hit all year, did manage to get to second base on a Mariners infield error. He scored on a Cam Smith triple, his first major league RBI and first major league extra-base hit.
Then, Joe Espada decided to let Tay Scott redeem himself after his loss yesterday. What he may have earned is a demotion. He gave up a lead-off single to Mitch Graver. He then failed to hold Garver on, who stole second, only the second stolen base of his career. A single by Luke Raley off the glove of first baseman Christian Walker tied the game. Bryan King came in to finish the inning and shut down the Mariners in the eighth.
Astros starter Framber Valdez was in peak form tonight, going six scoreless innings and allowing only two hits, a walk while striking out eight. His counterpart, Luis Castillo had five scoreless innings, allowing five Astros hits. Josh Hader looked like every penny of his $90 million dollar contract, absolutely crushing the Mariners in the ninth and tenth innings.
In the tenth inning, Ryan Bliss saved the game for the Mariners when he fielded a Jose Altuve grounder that bounced off of second base, but he managed to keep it from going into center field, saving the would-be go-ahead run.
The Astros scored the winning run on a grounder by Mr. Clutch, Victor Caratini, that got through the left side of the drawn in infield. Both Astros runs in this win were unearned.
Ryan Gusto got the win with a scoreless 11th inning, and Steven Okert got the save with two strikeouts, stranding the tying run at third with only one out.
The Astros were 3-15 with runners in scoring position, but the Mariners were only 1-19 and struck out 19 times. They missed a golden opportunity in the 11th inning when Julio Rodriguez took third against Jose Altuve’s weak arm on a routine flyout to left. But after Randy Arozarena walked, Mitch Garver grounded into a double play, keeping the Astros alive.
The Astros had some nifty defense. Here’s a first-inning catch by Jake Meyers, which followed a shoestring catch by young right-fielder Cam Smith.