Arozarena hits 1st home run of season, Mariners end 5-game skid with 9-6 win against Astros

The Seattle Mariners ended their five-game losing streak with a 9-6 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night. Randy Arozarena played a crucial role in the win, hitting his first home run of the season and driving in three runs.

In the fifth inning, with the game tied 3-3, Arozarena smashed a two-run homer off Houston reliever Ryan Weiss, giving the Mariners the lead. The home run, traveling 426 feet, was Arozarena’s first regular-season home run since September 9.

Seattle extended their lead with a four-run seventh inning, highlighted by run-scoring hits from Dominic Canzone and J.P. Crawford. Crawford, who had been sidelined with an injury, recorded his first RBI of the season in the game.

The Mariners took an early lead in the first inning as Astros starter Tatsuya Imai struggled with his control. Imai, who recently signed a lucrative contract with the Astros, lasted just one-third of an inning against Seattle’s offense.

While the Astros had big innings against Mariners starter Emerson Hancock and the bullpen, including a three-run double by Christian Vázquez and a three-run homer by Yordan Alvarez, the Mariners held on for the win.

Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz faced a tense situation in the ninth inning but managed to secure his first save of the season by inducing a game-ending groundout.

The Mariners will look to continue their winning ways in the second game of the series, with Luis Castillo set to face Lance McCullers Jr. on the mound.

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