Josh Naylor lined a one-out single to center field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to score the deciding run as the Seattle Mariners kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 6-5 victory against the visiting Houston Astros on Wednesday night.
Dominic Canzone drove in three runs for the Mariners (74-84), whose only chance to make the postseason is to finish in a three-way tie with Houston (78-80) and Texas (78-80), who are tied atop the American League West.
Yainer Diaz hit a tiebreaking triple in the top of the 10th inning after earlier hitting a two-run homer for the Astros.
Houston closer Josh Hader (4-2), who pitched the ninth, returned to the mound in the 10th to try and put the Astros into sole possession of the division lead. With J.P. Crawford the automatic runner, Hader walked Randy Arozarena before Canzone hit a slow roller to shortstop Nick Allen to advance both runners. A walk to Cal Raleigh loaded the bases and another to Julio Rodriguez forced in the tying run. Naylor lined the first pitch he saw from Hader up the middle to win it.
Mariners reliever Cooper Criswell (4-2) allowed one run on one hit with one strikeout in one inning.
The Astros opened the scoring with four runs in the top of the third off Mariners starter George Kirby. With one out, Allen doubled to left. Jose Altuve hit what turned out to be a single down the left-field line that deflected off third-base umpire Ryan Blakney’s shin. Yordan Alvarez doubled to right, sending Altuve to third, before Isaac Paredes lifted a sacrifice fly to right. Diaz then lined a two-run shot over the left-field wall to make it 4-0.
The Mariners responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning against Astros starter Ethan Pecko. Lazaro Montes drew a leadoff walk and, an out later, Crawford grounded a single to right. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Arozarena walked to load the bases for Canzone, who lined a two-run single off the right-field wall. With two outs, Rodriguez lined a double to left to cut Houston’s lead to 4-3.
The Mariners tied it in the fifth off reliever Josh Hendrickson, who was making his MLB debut. Arozarena lined a one-out single to center, stole second and scored on Canzone’s single to center.
Pecko pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on four hits. The rookie right-hander walked two and struck out two.
Kirby went five innings and allowed four runs on six hits. The right-hander walked three and fanned five.
