BASEBALL: Logan Gilbert earns first win as Mariners beat Astros again

Logan Gilbert delivered a dominant performance on the mound, pitching seven strong innings to earn his first victory of the season as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Houston Astros 6-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Gilbert (1-2), the Mariners’ opening day starter, allowed just one run on four hits. The right-hander walked one batter and struck out seven. With two of Seattle's starting pitchers recently placed on the injured list and another undergoing further evaluation, Gilbert’s stellar outing was a welcome relief for the Mariners.

At the plate, Seattle's Nos. 5-6 hitters, Randy Arozarena and Luke Raley, powered the offense, each collecting three hits. Raley was especially productive, hitting two doubles and driving in two runs.

The Astros, forced to rely on a bullpen day after injuries sidelined key starters, struggled to contain the Mariners. Right-hander Cody Bolton (0-1) served as the opener, allowing two runs on one hit in just one-plus inning while walking four batters. Jayden Murray took over after Bolton departed due to mid-back tightness, but the Astros’ bullpen could not stop Seattle's early surge.

The Mariners quickly built a 4-0 lead, scoring in each of the first three innings. In the first, Brendan Donovan was hit by a pitch, and Josh Naylor drew a two-out walk. Arozarena then delivered a run-scoring single to center.

In the second, with the bases loaded, Murray walked Julio Rodriguez to bring in another run. The Mariners extended their lead in the third with Arozarena's leadoff single, followed by Raley’s double. A walk to J.P. Crawford loaded the bases again, and with one out, Dominic Canzone walked to push another run across. Donovan added a sacrifice fly, giving the Mariners a 4-0 advantage.

Houston's lone run came in the fifth, when Yainer Diaz launched a solo homer to left, cutting the deficit to 4-1.

The Mariners weren’t done, adding two more runs in the sixth. Rodriguez reached on an infield single, and Naylor was hit by a pitch. Arozarena’s single to right moved both runners into scoring position, and Raley followed with a double, bringing in both runs to seal the 6-1 win.

With the victory, the Mariners have now won the first three games in the four-game series against the American League West rivals.

-Field Level Media/Reuters