Cano strikes in 9th, keeps Mariners rolling in Houston

HOUSTON — Robinson Cano snapped a ninth-inning tie with a three-run double over the head of center fielder Carlos Gomez to send the Mariners to their fourth consecutive win, 6-3, over the Astros in Thursday night’s series opener at Minute Maid Park.

Seth Smith shot a two-run single into right field to score Ketel Marte and Leonys Martin in the seventh inning to give the Mariners a 3-2 lead, but the Astros tied the game in the bottom of the frame on an RBI double to straightaway center by Jose Altuve (4-for-4). Houston had the potential go-ahead run cut down at the plate on the play when Jason Castro tried to score from first.

Mariners starter Wade Miley held the Astros, who scored 16 runs on Wednesday against the Twins, to two runs and five hits in six innings. Altuve led off the game with a homer — the first of his career-high-tying four hits — and Evan Gattis’ RBI single in the sixth put Houston ahead, 2-1.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Rally un-sprung: The Mariners looked like they had some serious two-out momentum in the third against rookie right-hander Chris Devenski when Norichika Aoki singled, Smith walked and Cano drove in his AL-leading 27th run with a single to right. But Astros right fielder George Springer put a halt to that with an excellent catch of a rocket off the bat of Nelson Cruz, reaching up at the last …

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