Houston Astros at Seattle Mariners

Arozarena hits 1st home run of season, Mariners end 5-game skid with 9-6 win against Astros

Houston, meanwhile, dropped its fifth straight game and sixth out of seven.

With the game tied 3-3 in the fifth inning, Arozarena turned on an elevated fastball from Houston reliever Ryan Weiss (0-1) and hit it to left field for a two-run shot. It traveled 426 feet, and was Arozarena’s first regular-season home run since Sept. 9.

Seattle increased its advantage with a four-run seventh inning, which included a run-scoring double by Dominic Canzone and an RBI single by J.P. Crawford. It was the first run Crawford drove in this season after starting the year injured.

The Mariners took their first lead of the game in the opening inning as Astros starter Tatsuya Imai struggled to find the strike zone. Imai, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract this offseason after spending eight seasons with the Pacific League’s Seibu Lions, made it through just one-third of an inning against Seattle.

Houston had two big innings against Mariners starter Emerson Hancock (2-1) and the rest of Seattle’s bullpen. Astros catcher Christian Vázquez, who slotted into the No. 9 hole in the lineup, hit a two-out, bases-loaded double off Hancock that scored three runs. Left fielder Yordan Alvarez added a three-run home run in the eighth inning off right-hander Cole Wilcox.

Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz walked two hitters and allowed the tying run to come to the plate, but induced a game-ending groundout by Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña to secure his first save of the season.

Up next Mariners RHP Luis Castillo (0-0, 2.79 ERA) faces Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 3.27) on Saturday in the second game of the four-game series.

How can I watch Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners?

• TV Channel: Astros at Mariners 2022 MLB Baseball, is broadcasted on MLB.TV.
• Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.