By Kristie Rieken / Associated Press
HOUSTON — Mariners manager Scott Servias was ejected for his role in a benches-clearing scuffle in the ninth inning of Seattle’s 7-4 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night, a game in which Cal Raleigh had a career-high four RBIs and Julio Rodriguez hit a late two-run shot.
With two outs in the ninth, Houston’s Héctor Neris plunked Ty France in the back. Players and coaches on both sides began chirping at each other, and Servais led the way as Seattle’s bench emptied to confront the Astros near home palte.
Rodriguez pulled Neris away from the scrum, while Servais and Houston manager Dusty Baker were at the center of the pushing and shoving, with Servais pointing and shouting repeatedly at Astros first base coach Omar Lopez.
Servais and Lopez were ejected, and both benches were given warnings.
Rodríguez hit a two-run homer and J.P. Crawford walked before Neris was ejected after throwing a pitch behind Eugenio Suarez’s head. Baker was also automatically ejected because of the warning.
Raleigh’s three-run homer gave Seattle a 4-1 lead in the second inning, but the Astros scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to tie it.
The game was still tied in the fourth when Adam Frazier doubled with no outs. The Mariners went on top 5-4 when Frazier scored on a two-out single by Raleigh.
Mariners starter Robbie Ray (5-6) allowed eight hits and four runs — three earned — while walking three in five innings. Diego Castillo pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save.
Houston starter Cristian Javier (3-3) struggled, allowing six hits and five runs in 3.2 innings after entering the game 3-0 with a 0.40 ERA in six career games, with three starts, against the Mariners.
Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick each hit a solo homer for the Astros, but they couldn’t do much else on offense, going 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.
The Mariners led early after an RBI double by Crawford in the first inning.
Houston tied it when Altuve sent Ray’s third pitch of the game into the seats in left field. It was his sixth leadoff homer this season, which ranks second in the majors behind Toronto’s George Springer, who has seven. It gives him 175 career homers, which moves him past Springer into sole possession of fifth place on Houston’s all-time list.
There was one out in the second when Raleigh connected off Javier on a three-run shot to right field to put Seattle up 4-1.
Tucker opened Houston’s second with his 10th homer this season to cut the lead to 2. There was one out in the inning when McCormick hit a solo shot to right field.
Martín Maldonado reached on an error by Crawford before advancing to second on a passed ball by Raleigh. Altuve followed with a single that scored Maldonado to tie it at 4-all. But Altuve was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.
HONORED
On the day that Houston’s Yordan Alvarez and the Astros finalized a $115 million, six-year contract extension, the slugger was named the AL Player of the Week.
Alvarez led the majors in hits (13), average (.565), slugging (1.217) and OPS (1.847) last week to win the award for the first time in his career. He hit four home runs and had eight RBI.
UP NEXT
Houston’s Justin Verlander (6-2, 2.23 ERA) opposes Chris Flexen (2-6, 4.55) when the series continues Tuesday night.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
