Mariners shut out by Astros, fall into tie for AL West lead

For the first time since May 12, they no longer sit alone atop the American League West standings.

The 10-game lead they’d built up in the division standings on June 18 has been erased in the span of 24 games.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the fastest the team has blown a 10-game lead in a division since the Angels blew a 10-game lead in 33 games — twice in the 1995 season.

And though fans need no reminders of the foibles and first-half failures of this very flawed team, the Mariners couldn’t help but offer a refresher of what makes them so aggravating to watch and so impossible to believe in their first-half success.

Facing the Houston Astros, the team they are trying to stave off in the division and the owners of the AL West for the last decade, the Mariners were held scoreless and somewhat hopeless in a 3-0 loss.

The defeat dropped the Mariners to 52-47 while the Astros improved to 51-46, leaving the two teams tied for first place in the division.

A crowd of 40,948 filled T-Mobile Park on a Friday evening that felt almost climate controlled with perfect weather to watch the opener of a crucial series between a pair of division rivals that take great pleasure in beating the other. They were rewarded with a dismal showing from an offense that couldn’t get a big hit or many hits while being shut out for the sixth time this season.

“It was a good crowd tonight,” manager Scott Servais said. “They were all jazzed up and ready to go, unfortunately we didn’t give them too much to get loud about.”

Indeed, the loudest moments came when the fans were doing the wave with the Mariners hitting and down 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh, perhaps out of boredom. There was also a fair amount of booing when Astros closer Josh Hader got Jorge Polanco to line out to right field to end the game. Were they booing the fact that they hate Astros won, or were they booing the Mariners showing? Probably a little of both.

Seattle went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and stranded six runners while mustering just four hits on the night and got just one hit — a bunt single from Victor Robles — over the final six innings.

“Our group understands where we’re at and offense has been a struggle for us here,” Servais said of an offense that ranks near the bottom of MLB in most major categories. “We are trying different things to unlock it and get it going. It’s just not happening. We had a couple opportunities with bases loaded during the third inning. You need a big hit with runners in scoring position. You’ve got to step up and score.”

Luis Castillo gave the Mariners a workable if not dominant start against one of the more prolific offenses in baseball. Castillo pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts. It was the Mariners’ 59th quality start of the season. It was the 16th time they’ve lost one of those outings.

The Astros did all of their damage in the third inning.

Castillo gave up leadoff double to No. 9 hitter Trey Cabbage to start the problems. Jose Altuve dropped down a bunt single that Josh Rojas grabbed with his barehand and fired to first. His throw bounced and couldn’t be gloved by Ty France, rolling into foul territory, allowing Cabbage to race home.

A 1-1 sinker to Alex Bregman clipped his elbow guard to put another runner on base and Castillo walked Yordan Alvarez to load the bases with no outs.

Yainer Diaz got the Astros big hit, jumping on a first pitch and sending it to right field to score two runs.

“Three free bases in that inning,” Servais said. “You’ve got to play clean. That’s what we’ve done against them all year, we’ve played very clean baseball. Tonight is probably the first time we’ve made errors or given up the free bases that have come back to bite us. We bunched them together and they put a three spot up on us.”

Meanwhile, the Mariners didn’t do enough to drive up the pitch count of Astros starter Hunter Brown or deliver with runners on base.

Seattle tried to answer the Astros’ three runs by loading the bases with two outs in the bottom of the third. But Cal Raleigh’s soft liner was caught be Altuve to end the inning.

In the fifth inning, Luke Raley led off with a walk and Robles dropped down a bunt single to put runners on first and second with no outs. J.P. Crawford fouled off a bunt attempt on a 1-1 count and then later flew out to left. The inning ended when Rojas hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

Brown was able to give the Astros six scoreless innings, working around the three walks with five strikeouts to improve to 8-6.

“He’s really simplified his arsenal,” Servais said. “He’s really trusted his fastball, cutter and changeup to the lefties. He’s pitching at the top of the zone. We popped quite a few balls up tonight and were just underneath a lot of balls. It continues to be a similar story here: making adjustments to get on top of the ball. I know guys want to hit them in the air, but if you’re not squaring it up, it’s a lot of foul balls and swing-and-miss, so we’ve got to get above the ball a little bit better.”