HADER ROCKED AGAIN
Raleigh's 9th inning homer gives Mariners 5-4 win over Astros
May 6, 2024, 12:28 pm
Josh Hader is off to a rough start as an Astro. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.
Cal Raleigh hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the ninth to give the Seattle Mariners a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Raleigh sent an 0-2 pitch from Josh Hader (1-3) into the Crawford Boxes in left field with one out in the ninth. Luis Urías tied it at four in the eighth on an RBI single.
Raleigh said he was looking for a fastball, and he got one.
“I was looking for the heater the whole at bat and adjust to anything else,” he said. “He made two good pitches before that. I didn’t come off my plan. He left it middle of the plate, and I got to it.”
Hader said he was trying to go up and in and missed.
“I just didn’t execute my pitch,” Hader said. “At the end of the day, executing your pitches, sometimes it works out for you.”
It was Raleigh’s second go-ahead home run in the ninth or later this season.
“He finds a way,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said of Raleigh. “He typically hits the ball in the air. Late in games, if you have power to hit the ball in the air, good things are going to happen.”
Andrés Muñoz (2-2) pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for the win.
Seattle has won six straight series.
“We’re pitching awesome,” Servais said. “I’ve talked about that for the last month or so. Our defense has really picked up I thought. … We’re still not clicking offensively, but we’re starting to make some strides.”
Jon Singleton launched a two-run homer to right to give Houston a 4-3 lead in the seventh. Kyle Tucker cut the lead to 3-2 with a two-run homer to right in the sixth.
Luke Raley hit a solo home run into the second deck in right field to lead off the sixth, and the Mariners got two in the second on an Urías bases loaded walk and Josh Rojas RBI single. Rojas finished with three hits.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts in six innings.
Houston starter Hunter Brown gave up two runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: José Urquidy (right forearm strain) had his live batting practice pushed back from Sunday to Tuesday in Houston to “give him an extra day,” manager Joe Espada said. … INF Grae Kessinger (right shoulder) started a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. … RHP Cristian Javier (neck discomfort) came out of his rehab start Saturday with Double-A Corpus Christi feeling “good,” Espada said, adding that the plan is for Javier to rejoin the team on the upcoming road trip.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (3-4, 3.46 ERA) will open a four-game series Monday at the Twins, who will start RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 2.45 ERA).
Astros: After a day off Monday, RHP Justin Verlander (1-0, 2.08 ERA) will start Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at the Yankees, who will start RHP Luis Gil (2-1, 3.19 ERA).
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Expectations
The Texans are favored to win the AFC South for a third straight season with a team led by young stars quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson. Stroud’s strong first two years helped the Texans turn things around and this year they’ll try to reach the playoffs in three straight seasons for the first time in franchise history. Stroud will be directing a new offense led by first-time offensive coordinator Nick Caley, who took over after Bobby Slowik was fired this offseason following Houston’s loss to the Chiefs in the divisional round. General manager Nick Caserio also beefed up the team’s receiving corps, led by Nico Collins, by adding veteran Christian Kirk and drafting Jayden Higgins in the second round and Jaylin Noel in the third. Coach DeMeco Ryans has vowed the offensive line will be better this season after Stroud was sacked 52 times last season, which was second-most in the league. But it’s difficult to see how his protection will be better after they traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil and didn’t make any big moves to replace him. Defensively, Anderson should take another step forward in his second year playing with veteran Danielle Hunter after the third-overall pick in the 2023 draft had 17 sacks combined in his first two seasons. Cornerback Derek Stingley returns to lead a talented young secondary after earning first team AP All-Pro honors last season when he had five interceptions and defended 18 passes.
New faces
OC Nick Caley, WR Jayden Higgins, WR Christian Kirk, WR Jaylin Noel, LT Cam Robinson, RB Nick Chubb, RT Aireontae Ersery, LG Laken Tomlinson, C Jake Andrews.
Key losses
LT Laremy Tunsil, WR John Metchie III, G Kenyon Green, TE Brevin Jordan, CB Eric Murray, WR Robert Woods, CB Kris Boyd.
Strengths
Stroud and Houston’s stacked receiving group should be the stars of the team this season. The 2023 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year has been great in his first two seasons to bring the Texans back into contention after an awful stretch. His interception rate was up last season but he’s looking for improvement this season in Caley’s offense, which he has described as “exciting.” He’ll have plenty of strong targets to throw to, led by Collins, who had a second straight 1,000-yard season last year despite missing five games with injuries. He’ll be joined by Kirk, who should fill in at the slot with Tank Dell likely to miss all season recovering from an injury he suffered in December. Higgins and Noel come to Houston after combining for 2,377 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns last season at Iowa State.
Weaknesses
It’s hard to see how the offensive line will be improved this season with Tunsil gone to Washington. Though he was penalty-prone, he was the team’s most consistent lineman. They completely revamped the line after his trade and return just one starter from last year’s group. They’ll likely rely on rookie Ersery to protect Stroud’s blind side after taking him in the second round of the draft. He started 38 games at left tackle over three seasons at Minnesota. Veteran Tytus Howard returns at right tackle after starting 16 games there last season. The center is Jake Andrews in his first year in Houston and he returns after missing all of last season with an injury before being released by the Patriots. Left guard Laken Tomlinson and right guard Ed Ingram are also new to the team.
Camp development
Houston’s secondary sustained a big blow in camp when safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson suffered a leg injury. The injury isn’t season-ending but he is likely to miss significant time. Gardner-Johnson is in his first year in Houston after he was acquired from the Eagles in March in exchange for left guard Kenyon Green. He was expected to be the team’s starting free safety after the Texans lost Eric Murray in free agency to the Jaguars. The Texans will also be without backup Jimmie Ward indefinitely after he was placed on the commissioner exempt list Tuesday as he faces a felony domestic violence charge after a June arrest.
Fantasy player to watch
Collins should have another big year after finishing with more than 1,000 yards receiving in each of the last two seasons. He’s had 15 touchdowns combined in the last two seasons despite missing seven games with injuries.
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Win Super Bowl: 35-1.