Bregman joins elite group as Astros top M's

Alex Bregman joined elite company in Astros history in tying up the game, then Kyle Tucker scored the go-ahead run following his leadoff double in the seventh inning as Houston continued its dominance of the visiting Seattle Mariners with a 2-1 victory Saturday at Minute Maid Park. Bregman smacked his 34th home run leading off the sixth inning, recording his 100th RBI in the process. With his walk in the first, Bregman joined Jeff Bagwell and Lance Berkman as the only players in club history with at least 100 runs, 100 walks and 100 RBIs in a season. Bregman has scored 109 runs in 2019.

Tucker, pinch-hitting for Jake Marisnick, opened the seventh with a ground-rule double off Seattle right-hander Austin Adams (1-2), advanced on a wild pitch and scored when Josh Reddick produced a sacrifice fly to center field. The Mariners have dropped five consecutive games and are 1-15 against Houston this season.

On the heels of his third career no-hitter, Justin Verlander (18-5) delivered yet another strong start that seemed pedestrian by his lofty standards. Verlander faced the minimum in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings while stranding runners at third base in the third and seventh. He did surrender his lone run in the third when Dee Gordon produced a one-out, RBI triple to right two batters after Shed Long opened that frame by depositing a single into shallow right. Verlander recovered from the triple by inducing an infield popup from Dylan Moore before striking out Mallex Smith. With Omar Narvaez on third and two outs, Verlander capped his outing by getting Tom Murphy to ground out, with third baseman Abraham Toro making a nifty play to preserve the 1-1 tie.

Verlander allowed one run on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over seven innings. He threw 102 pitches, 74 for strikes, and showcased his repertoire with 44 four-seam fastballs, 34 sliders, and 20 curveballs. Verlander recorded 18 called strikes and 16 swings and misses. Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi blanked the Astros through five innings before surrendering his one-run lead two pitches into the sixth. Prior to the Bregman homer, Kikuchi retired the side in order only once (the third inning) and regularly danced around baserunners. He stranded two in the second and Jose Altuve at second in the fifth, but the Bregman blast was a breakthrough.

Kikuchi allowed one run on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts over five innings. 

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