SEATTLE– Bryce Miller allowed two runs in six innings to get his first win since April 17, and the Seattle Mariners used a big first inning against Houston starter Framber Valdez to hold on for a 3-2 win over the Astros on Friday night. Monday.
Seattle scored three times in the first game against Valdez and then leaned on its shooting to make the early lead hold. Miller did his part and then passed to relievers Trent Thornton, Gabe Speier and Andrés Muñoz to close out the win.
Muñoz got three strikeouts in his 11th save.
Miller (4-5) has lost his last four decisions, including his last three starts. In his four previous starts in May, Miller allowed 15 earned runs after surrendering just eight runs in six starts during the first month of the season.
But he seemed to rediscover some of his dominant form from that first month, striking out six and hitting a pair. Miller said part of the success was noticing that hitters were more aggressive with their pitches earlier in the count, forcing him to be better at his placement.
“For me (it’s) just trying to make sure I’m still moving forward, but with some hitters in the lineup not making mistakes, just trying to move forward,” Miller said. “Be aggressive in the corner early and then work on it.”
Miller got through the first four innings and retired 12 straight after giving up a walk to Kyle Tucker, the game’s second hitter. But he ran into trouble in the fifth, giving up three consecutive singles, the last coming to José Abreu, who scored Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini’s sacrifice fly scored another run and after Jose Altuve doubled, Miller escaped the jam by catching a groundout from Tucker.
Miller again got out of trouble in the sixth, putting two runners on before Jon Singleton flew out to the warning track in right center to end the threat.
Abreu was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land before Monday’s game and his single was his first big league hit since April 27. The 2020 AL MVP was batting .099 when he accepted an assignment to the minors on May 1.
All of Seattle’s offense came early. Meyers made an excellent sliding catch to steal extra bases from Cal Raleigh, but it still resulted in a sacrifice fly. Ty France and Mitch Haniger followed with two RBI singles as Valdez faced eight batters in the first inning. He needed 43 pitches to get through the first two innings, but Seattle couldn’t add.
“We had all types of traffic and some good hits when we had traffic out there. Unfortunately, sometimes the ball doesn’t hit the grass like you want it to,” Mariners coach Scott Servais said.
Valdez (3-3) has allowed just two baserunners in his last four innings on the mound and has managed to pass six. He allowed six hits, struck out four and walked three.
“I thought it took a while for his sinker to come down and play. He just wasn’t executing his throws like he wanted to,” Houston coach Joe Espada said. “After that, he settled in and had a great game.”
NEXT
Astros: RHP Hunter Brown (1-5, 7.06 ERA) allowed just two hits and two runs in six innings in his last start but suffered his fifth loss.
Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (4-6, 3.31) missed his senior, giving up two runs in five innings against the Yankees.
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