Verlander Lights Out as Astros Sweep the Mariners. Bats Come Alive in 7-2 Romp.

Verlander really does seem to be getting better and better. At 39 his fastball is still routinely at 95 MPH, and it seems he can throw any of his pitches into a tin can at will. When he throws a ball, most of the time it is because he was aiming at the corner, and he just missed the plate.

He had a shutout today going into the seventh inning until Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run homer into left-center field. They were the only two runs scored by the Mariners in the whole series.

For the day JV completed 6.2 innings, with five hits, no walks, and three Ks. He threw 101 pitches, a whopping 73 for strikes.

The Astros offense managed 10 hits today, their first double-digit hit production in some time, led by Alex Bregman, was 3-3 with two runs and three RBI.

The Astros scored their first run in the first inning off Mariners starter Matt Brash when Yuli Gurriel doubled in Alex Bregman.

The Stros added three more runs in the second on an RBI single by Michael Brantley that scored Aledmys Diaz and Chas McCormick. Bregman piled on with a single that scored Brantley.

And Bregman piled on again in the sixth with a double that scored McCormick. Bregman scored on a Yordan Alvarez single. Alvarez ended the inning getting thrown out at second trying to stretch his hit into a double.

Rookie Parker Mushinski closed out the M’s with two scoreless innings.

The Astros host Detroit tomorrow with Urquidy taking the mound for the Stros. Game time 7:10 CT.

Box Score and Videos HERE.