Vogelbach’s pinch-hit grand slam powers M’s past Astros
Published 1:30 am Monday, September 17, 2018
By Kristie Rieken
Associated Press
HOUSTON — Rookie pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach’s first career grand slam with two outs in the eighth inning lifted the Seattle Mariners over the Houston Astros 4-1 on Monday night.
The loss cut Houston’s lead in the AL West to four games over Oakland, which was off Monday night.
The Mariners trailed 1-0 when Nelson Cruz singled off Hector Rondon (2-5) with no outs in the eighth, and Kyle Seager singled with one out. Pinch-hitter Robinson Cano then hit a ball into shallow center field that looked like it would drop in for a hit, but Jake Marisnick sprinted before diving and extending his arm to make the catch.
Rondon walked pinch-hitter Denard Span to load bases before Vogelbach sent a 97-mph fastball into the bullpen in right-center.
Marwin Gonzalez had an RBI double to give the Astros the lead in the fourth. But they couldn’t muster much else on a night they managed just three hits, with the last one coming in the fifth.
Mariners starter Wade LeBlanc allowed three hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings. Ryan Cook (2-1) struck out one in a perfect seventh for the win, and Edwin Diaz pitched a scoreless ninth for his MLB-leading 56th save.
Houston’s Framber Valdez walked five but gave up just two hits in five innings. Rondon allowed four hits and four runs for his second straight loss after giving up three hits and two runs in 1 1/3 innings of a loss to Arizona on Friday night.
LeBlanc walked a batter in both the first and second innings but didn’t allow a hit until Yuli Gurriel doubled with two outs in the fourth. Gonzalez followed with his double, which bounced off the wall in left center, to score Gurriel and make it 1-0.
