Javier gives up 1 hit in 6 innings, Astros beat Mariners 2-1

HOUSTON Rookie Cristian Javier allowed one hit over six shutout innings, Yuli Gurriel homered and the Houston Astros edged the Seattle Mariners 2-1 Saturday night for their third straight win.

Javier (2-1) struck out five and walked three. The 23-year-old right-hander rebounded nicely after surrendering five runs in three innings in his last start against Oakland on Aug. 9.

Javier retired 10 of the first 12 batters before Kyle Seager walked and a single by Austin Nola accounted for the Mariners only hit off the rookie in the fifth. Javier induced a double play from Daniel Vogelbach and struck out Shed Long Jr. to end the inning.

Gurriel extended Houstons lead to 2-0 in the fourth with a solo home run that just made it over the fence, out of the reach of center fielder Kyle Lewis.

Jose Altuve gave the Astros a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI groundout, scoring Yordan Alvarez. Altuve was moved to seventh in the lineup and went 1 for 3 with a single in the seventh to bump his batting average up to .181.

Evan White cut Houstons lead to 2-1 with a solo home run in the eighth.

Ryan Pressly pitched the ninth for his second save of the season.

Houston has won 23 of their last 25 against the Mariners. Seattle lost its fourth straight game.

Nick Margevicius (0-1) allowed two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in six innings.

TRAINERS ROOM

Mariners: LHP Nestor Cortes was placed on the 10-day injured list with left elbow impingement. Seattle designated RHP Bryan Shaw for assignment. The Mariners recalled LHP Taylor Guilbeau from their alternate site and selected RHP Llay Newsome from the alternate site.

Astros: OF Michael Brantley was placed on the injured list with right quad discomfort. The move was retroactive to Aug. 12. The Astros will announce a corresponding roster move before Sundays game. Houston activated RHP Joe Biagini from the IL and optioned RHP Brandon Bailey to the alternate training site.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Justus Sheffield (1-2, 5.27) is scheduled to make his fourth start of the season on Sunday. He four hits in six scoreless innings on Aug. 9 in a win over Colorado.

Astros: RHP Lance McCullers, Jr. (2-1, 6.10) will make his fifth start on Sunday. He threw seven shutout innings, allowing one hit in his last start on Aug. 10 against San Francisco.

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