Mariners 3, Astros 2 (10): Cano spoils Valbuena's 9th inning heroics

You live by the home run, you die by the home run.

For just a moment, the Astros rose from the dea with a Luis Valbuena home run and just as quickly had that life snuffed out by Robinson Cano home run -- as the Mariners on 3-2 in 10 innings.

Dallas Keuchel was on the mound for the Astros on Saturday with Keuchel's corner and Dallas Keuchel bobblehead head day. Keuchel looked sharp at times, striking out eight. But he had to work around a large amount of traffic, allowing eight hits over seven innings.

Kyle Seager put the Mariners on the board first in the second innings. Seager sat on a first pitch fastball and ripped down the right field line. The ball hit so far down the foul pole, the call was reviewed by the umpires -- the call was confirmed within a minutes of the umpires' huttle.

For the second start in a row the Astros struggled to figure Nathan Karns on the mound -- Karns allowed one run on six hits over 6 1/3 innings and striking out nine.

Cano hit his first home run of the game in the third inning to push the Seattle score to 2-0.

Colby Rasmus cut into the lead in the sixth inning, hitting a double with two on. The hit scored Marwin Gonzalez from second, but Carlos Correa was held up at third with one out. Preston Tucker and Carlos Gomez left the two runners in scoring position with a pair o strikeouts.

The Astros threatened again in the seventh inning. Tyler White singled and Jason Castro walked with one out. White was replaced with Jose Altuve to run at second -- who had been out of the lineup for the day to rest a hand injury.

But the Mariners worked out of the jam with grounders by George Springer and Gonzalez.

The Astros could have easily tied the game in the eighth inning if not for home umpire Ben May. May's strike zone was all over the place during the game and specially inconsistent with Carlos Correa at-bat in the eighth.

Correa appeared to have walked on back-to-back but instead was wrung up -- Correa showed a rare moment of emotion to an umpire and discussed the call with May. A.J. Hinch was ejected shortly after for arguing strikes from the dugout -- he processed to get him money's worth thereafter.

Of course with Correa off the base paths, Rasmus followed with a double. Again Tucker and Gomez squandered the runner in scoring position.

Valbuena picked a perfect time to get his first home run off the season, launching one off Mariners closer Steve Cishek to tie the game at 2-2.

The game got even weirder in the tenth inning as Carlos Gomez was ejected from the game after a very animated conversation with first base umpire Jeff Nelson that came out of the blue. Gomez walked out the dugout to take his position in the field and started to talk to Nelson, and the energy ramped up until Gomez had to be held back.

Tony Sipp stayed in the game after pitching in the ninth to start the 10th inning. He faced Cano who was 6-for-15 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Cano added his third career home run off Sipp by flipping a pitch to the Crawford Boxes. Houston was unable to muster a second come back in the bottom of the 10th.