Houston's bats unload on Seattle
Yordan Alvarez returns as Astros romp Mariners in lopsided win
Aug 14, 2020, 11:20 pm
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Yordan Alvarez Astros
After taking two of three against the Giants earlier in the week, the Astros had a day off on Thursday before resuming play at home Friday night. The series opener of the three-game set against the Mariners had Framber Valdez on the mound, and Yordan Alvarez activated and back in the lineup. Here's a quick rundown of the game:
Final Score: Astros 11, Mariners 1.
Record: 9-10, third in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Framber Valdez (1-2, 1.90 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Nestor Cortes (0-1, 15.26 ERA).
Seattle scores first, then Alvarez homers as Houston's offense explodes
After successful command in his appearances so far in 2020, Framber Valdez had struggles in the top of the first inning Friday night, issuing two walks, hitting a batter, and allowing a sac fly to put Seattle up 1-0 right away. He would get through the inning; then, his offense went to work for a massive inning of their own.
After Yusei Kikuchi, the expected starter for Seattle, was a late scratch, Nestor Cortes would begin the game on the mound for the Mariners. The Astros jumped all over him, starting with an RBI-single by Alex Bregman to tie the game. With two runners on base, that brought up Yordan Alvarez for his first plate appearance of 2020. What he did with it should be of little surprise for those that watched the 2019 AL Rookie of the Year last season:
"I'm back." - Yordan pic.twitter.com/XKgswd8lXO
— MLB (@MLB) August 15, 2020
That gave Houston a 4-1 lead, but that was just the beginning. They'd go on to make it a nine-run inning, getting a solo home run by Yuli Gurriel to make it back-to-back homers after Alvarez, a two-RBI double by Martin Maldonado, an RBI-double by Josh Reddick, and then a final run on an error, making it 9-1. After his homer, Gurriel followed that with a triple in his next at-bat, leading off the bottom of the second with an immediate runner in scoring position. Carlos Correa drove him in with an RBI-groundout, getting the Astros to double digits at 10-1.
Valdez finishes six, bullpen wraps it up
After the erratic first where he allowed the run, Valdez was able to settle in for the following innings, battling back to keep Seattle off the board over the next five, pitching through six en route to the easy win. His final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 0 HR.
Yordan Alvarez would record another RBI, going to the plate with bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth before being hit by a pitch to bring in another run and make it 11-1. With Valdez's night done, Brandon Bailey took over in the top of the seventh and was able to erase a walk and a single for a scoreless inning, then returned for another in the eighth. Cy Sneed would go to the mound in the ninth and finished off the ten-run victory.
Up Next: The middle game of this series will start Saturday at 6:10 PM Central. The Mariners have Nick Margevicius (0-0, 3.24 ERA) slated to make a start, while Cristian Javier (1-1, 4.02 ERA) will continue his rookie campaign for the Astros.
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The Houston Astros will look to even their series against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night at Minute Maid Park after a rare misstep at home in Thursday’s opener.
Despite the 5-2 loss, Houston (60-43) remains firmly in first place in the AL West and continues to be one of the league’s toughest teams at home, entering Friday with a 33-20 record at Minute Maid. The Astros also boast a 40-19 mark in games where they collect at least eight hits — a number they'll be aiming for as they try to generate more consistent offense.
Rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto (6-3, 4.46 ERA) gets the ball for Houston in what will be his 15th start of the season. Gusto has had his ups and downs but continues to show promise, posting 77 strikeouts over 80.2 innings. He’ll be looking for a bounce-back performance after a shaky outing last weekend.
Oakland counters with left-hander Jeffrey Springs (8-7, 4.34 ERA), who’s put together a solid but inconsistent season. The A’s (43-62) sit at the bottom of the AL West but have shown they can hang with Houston — they’ve now won four of the seven meetings between the two clubs this season.
The Astros will again count on Christian Walker, who leads the team in RBIs and continues to provide steady middle-of-the-order production. Rookie Brice Matthews has also turned heads with three homers in his last 10 games, showing flashes of the power and athleticism that earned him a call-up.
Oakland’s offense, meanwhile, is anchored by Tyler Soderstrom (18 HR) and surging rookie Nick Kurtz, who is hitting an eye-popping .500 (19-for-38) with nine doubles, a triple, and four homers in his last 10 games.
Both teams are coming in with similar recent form — Houston is 5-5 over its last 10, with a team ERA of 3.81, while Oakland is 4-6 with a 4.34 ERA in that same span.
Friday marks the eighth meeting of the year between the division rivals, with Houston holding a narrow 4-3 edge in the season series. According to BetMGM, the Astros enter as -159 favorites, with the over/under set at 8 runs.
With the trade deadline looming and a tight divisional race unfolding, every game matters — and for Houston, bouncing back Friday night could help restore momentum as they push toward the stretch run.
Injuries
Starting pitcher Brandon Walter heads to the 15-day IL with left elbow inflammation. RHP Nick Hernandez has been recalled.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/P89oHwDhJx
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 25, 2025
Game 2 starting lineup
Game 2⃣.
⚾️: 7:10 PM
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/NptD6yHelh
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 25, 2025
What stands out? Cam Smith is back in the leadoff spot, with Jose Altuve in the two-hole and playing second base. Victor Caratini will serve as the DH and hit third, followed by Christian Walker (1B), Yainer Diaz (C), and Cooper Hummell (LF). Mauricio Dubon will hit seventh and play third base, with Chas McCormick patrolling center field, and Zack Short hitting ninth and playing shortstop.
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