At this point in the Astros season, I wouldn't be surprised if Astros fans were sitting in rooms alone listening to "Hello Darkness my old friend." A 6-15 start for a playoff contender will do that to most fans. The Astros gave fans a reason to be hopeful on Wednesday, even it was only for on game.
The Astros' looked like their 2015 selfs as the team avoided the sweep against the Mariners, winning 7-4.
Jose Altuve got things off on the right foot as he hit his second leadoff home run of the season. Robinson Cano answered back with a home run on his own in the bottom of the inning.
Houston took back the lead in the third inning. The Astros had four straight hits in the inning: a Jason Castro double, Altuve double, George Springer single, and a Carlos Correa single. Houston led 3-1 after two and a half innings.
Cano again answered the Astros runs driving in Seth Smith following his double to center.
Carlos Gomez left the game in the fourth after being hit in his right hand with a pitch.
The inning the Astros have been waiting for came in the fifth as Colby Rasmus and Evan Gattis broke open the game. Jason Castro reached with a walk, Altuve doubled, and Correa walked to start things off. Rasmus singled to score Castro. Gattis drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to center.
Adam Lind helped the Mariners to claw back with a home run to right-center -- Houston led 5-3.
Gattis padded the Astros lead with a double that scored Springer and Correa. Rasmus was thrown out as he rounded third base too far on the double.
The Mariners manufactured a run against Luke Gregerson in the ninth. Leonys Martin and Kete Marte reached to start the inning. Seth Smith moved them over a base with a groundout to the pitcher. Cano hit a sacrifice grounder to score one.
McHugh pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Ken Giles pitched a scoreless eighth inning, striking out two, walking one and allowing one hit.