Associated Press
SEATTLE — Josh Reddick homered, Brian McCann added a three-run double and Lance McCullers pitched into the sixth inning in his return from the disabled list to lift the Houston Astros to a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.
McCullers (7-1), who had been sidelined with lower back discomfort, allowed one run on four hits in five-plus innings. He struck out eight and walked none in his first start since June 8.
Reddick staked the Astros to a 2-0 lead in the third with his eighth home run. George Springer singled to open and Reddick drove a 1-0 pitch from Sam Gaviglio (3-2) over the wall in center.
McCann’s seventh-inning double increased the lead to 5-1.
Seattle, which had won six straight, scored one in the ninth off Ken Giles on a double and three consecutive walks, but Carlos Ruiz struck out looking with the bases loaded.
The Mariners pulled to 2-1 in the sixth. Ruiz doubled to open and took third on Jean Segura’s single, chasing McCullers. Ruiz scored on Robinson Cano’s single through the right side, but Will Harris got Nelson Cruz to hit into an inning-ending double play.
In the seventh, Springer singled with one out and Reddick reach on catcher’s interference. Carlos Correa’s two-out single loaded the bases. McCann followed with a drive to right that Mitch Haniger briefly had in his glove on the diving attempt as he raced toward the line, but the ball popped free as he hit the ground.
Gaviglio allowed two runs on six hits in six innings, but the Astros had runners in scoring position in each of the first five innings. He struck out three and walked three.
McCullers retired the first 12 hitters, striking out six, before Cruz beat out a single on his slow roller to third to open the fifth inning. Kyle Seager doubled to center, with Cruz holding at third, but McCullers worked out of trouble.
He struck out Haniger, Cruz was caught in a rundown on Jarrod Dyson’s fielder’s choice grounder to second, and Taylor Motter struck out.
Reddick made a pair of sensational diving catches in left, robbing Segura to open the first inning, and preventing a run in seventh with his inning-ending grab of Motter’s sinking liner with a runner on second.
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