Mariners rout Astros 10-2; Imai struggles

The Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 10-2 on Tuesday, May 12, at Daikin Park in Houston, pushing across 10 runs on 11 hits and handing Houston another loss in an early-season American League West matchup. Dominic Canzone hit his first career grand slam, Randy Arozarena went 4-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, and Cal Raleigh ended an 0-for-38 skid with a seventh-inning single. (apnews.com) Bryan Woo worked six innings for Seattle, allowing two runs and striking out nine, while Tatsuya Imai took the loss in his return from the injured list. (mlb.com) ### How did Seattle turn a tie game into a rout? The game was tied 2-2 entering the fourth inning before Seattle broke it open against Imai. (mlb.com) Randy Arozarena challenged a called third strike to begin the inning, and the automated ball-strike review overturned it to a ball by less than one-tenth of an inch, according to MLB.com. Imai then hit Arozarena, hit Luke Raley and walked J.P. Crawford to load the bases. Dominic Canzone followed with a grand slam to right field, giving Seattle a 6-2 lead and changing the game in one swing. Astros manager Joe Espada called the overturned strike a “turning point in the game,” according to MLB.com. (apnews.com) ### What did Tatsuya Imai’s return look like? Imai made his first start after about a month out with arm fatigue and lasted four innings. The right-hander allowed five hits, six earned runs, three walks and two hit batters while striking out three. (mlb.com) His ERA rose to 9.24 through 12 2/3 innings in his first four major league starts. MLB.com reported that Imai threw 50 four-seam fastballs and 30 sliders, with 46 strikes, but Seattle hit him hard; 10 of the 13 balls put in play against him were struck at 95 mph or harder. Joe Espada said Imai would make his next start, according to MLB.com. (mlb.com) Imai said through an interpreter that Seattle’s hitters showed higher ability, after the Mariners punished mistakes in the middle innings. ### Which Mariners hitters stood out most? (mlb.com) Arozarena gave Seattle an early lead with a two-run homer in the second inning and finished with four hits and three RBIs. Canzone supplied the biggest blow with the fourth-inning grand slam, his first in the majors. Cal Raleigh added a seventh-inning single that ended what AP described as the longest hitless streak in the majors this season at 0-for-38. (mlb.com) Seattle also got production from the top and middle of the lineup as it kept pressure on Houston after the grand slam. ### What did Bryan Woo do on the other side? Woo improved to 3-2 after holding Houston to two runs on four hits across six innings. He struck out nine and walked two, helping Seattle keep control after Houston briefly tied the game in the third. (apnews.com) Houston scored once in the second on a Braden Shewmake RBI single and once in the third on a Christian Walker RBI double. After that, Woo and Seattle’s bullpen kept the Astros off the board the rest of the night. ### Where does this leave the series? (apnews.com) The four-game series continued in Houston on Wednesday and is scheduled to conclude Thursday, May 14, at Daikin Park. MLB’s probable pitchers pages list Luis Castillo for Seattle against Mike Burrows for Houston in Thursday’s finale. (foxsports.com) Seattle entered the series finale at 21-22, while Houston was 16-27, according to MLB and USA Today game listings. The Astros are scheduled to remain at home for a series against the Texas Rangers beginning Friday, May 15, while the Mariners are set to host the San Diego Padres on Friday, according to the teams’ MLB schedule pages. (sportsdata.usatoday.com) (bleachernation.com)