Spencer Arrighetti, Astros avoid sweep by blanking Mariners

Rookie Spencer Arrighetti pitched six scoreless innings as the Houston Astros defeated the host Seattle Mariners 4-0 Thursday afternoon to avoid a four-game sweep by their American League West rivals.

Alex Bregman and Victor Caratini hit home runs for the Astros.

The AL West-leading Mariners had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Arrighetti (3-5), a right-hander who won for the third time in his past four starts, allowed just two hits, walked three and struck out eight. Seattle's only hits off Arrighetti came on a two-out single by Mitch Haniger in the second and a one-out single by Ty France in the fourth.

Houston's Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly each pitched a hitless inning of relief before the Mariners threatened against closer Josh Hader in the bottom of the ninth.

Julio Rodriguez led off by lining a single to left and France hit a one-out single to center. Hader struck out Dominic Canzone and got Haniger to ground out to second to end the game.

Mariners starter Logan Gilbert (3-3), who pitched eight scoreless innings in a 5-0 victory May 4 at Houston, gave up four runs on eight hits over six innings. The right-hander walked one and fanned five.

The Astros opened the scoring in the fourth inning. Kyle Tucker led off by lining a single to center field and, two outs later, Bregman hit a two-run shot to left on a 0-1 split fastball at the bottom of the strike zone. His homer bounced off the top of the wall and into the Astros' bullpen.

Caratini led off the fifth by hitting the first pitch of the inning, a four-seam fastball up in the zone, 398 feet to right-center field to make it 3-0.

The Astros tacked on another run in the sixth. With one out, Bregman tripled to left. After a walk by Jake Meyers, Caratini grounded into a fielder's choice to score Bregman for the final margin.

--Field Level Media