Mariners make up ground in AL West with win over Astros

Luis Castillo pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings while Randy Arozarena and Mitch Garver each homered to lead the Seattle Mariners past the visiting Houston Astros 6-1 on Friday night in both teams’ first game after the All-Star break.
The Mariners posted their fourth consecutive victory and pulled within four games of the Astros, who lead the American League West. Houston lost for the sixth time in its past seven games.
Castillo (7-5) won his third straight start. The veteran right-hander allowed three hits — back-to-back singles to lead off the third by Mauricio Dubon and Brice Matthews as well as a one-out single by Victor Caratini in the seventh. Castillo walked two and struck out seven.
Arozarena gave the Mariners the lead with a solo shot to left field with two outs in the fourth off Houston starter Brandon Walter (1-3). It was the 10th homer in the past 14 games for Arozarena, who participated in the All-Star Game earlier this week in Atlanta.
That was the only run Walter allowed over six innings. The lefty, making just his eighth career start, gave up three hits, walked one and fanned seven.
Garver gave Seattle a 2-0 lead with a homer to straightaway center with two outs in the seventh off reliever Bennett Sousa.
The Mariners, who had won their previous three home games by shutouts, had their scoreless streak at T-Mobile Park snapped at 36 innings in the eighth.
Matthews drew a leadoff walk off reliever Matt Brash and scored on Isaac Paredes’ double to left-center. Brash rebounded to strike out Cam Smith and got Jose Altuve and Christian Walker to fly out to shallow right field to get out of the inning.
The Mariners added four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. After drawing a leadoff walk off Steven Okert and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by fellow rookie Ben Williamson, Cole Young scored on J.P. Crawford’s single to left field.
Hector Neris relieved Okert and walked Julio Rodriguez before Cal Raleigh lined a run-scoring single to right. After Raleigh stole second, Arozarena was intentionally walked, setting the table for a Donovan Solano sacrifice fly to left to score Rodriguez. Raleigh then came home on a wild pitch to provide the final score.