May 7, 2016
Mariners 3, Astros 2 (10 innings)
W – Cishek (2-1)
L – Sipp (0-2)
Box Score
GameZone thread
No matter your elevation above mean sea level when you read this, be advised: if someone throws a baseball your way, MLB umpire Ben May is probably going to call it a strike. Hitters for both teams jawed about the strike zone – particularly its generous upper and lower borders – all night long, and this came to play a pretty large role as the game wore on.
First of all, let’s calm everyone down about one thing: Keuchel looked much, much better than his recent starts. Despite allowing a solo shot in each of the 2nd and 3rd innings, he settled in well and lasted seven innings while striking out eight. I’m not going to spend a lot of time on Keuchel here, though.
Given that, it figures that Houston wouldn’t have much going offensively for much of the early game: Nathan Karns had a two-hit shutout through five innings. It didn’t help that Jose Altuve didn’t start the game, sitting due to a sore finger (he would later pinch-run, stay in defensively, and take one at-bat). The Astros finally broke through in the 6th, though – Marwin Gonzalez and Carlos Correa notched back-to-back 1-out singles, and Colby Rasmus drove in Marwin with a double down the first base line. With runners at 2nd and 3rd with only one out, Karns predictably got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts of Preston Tucker and Carlos Gomez. Houston again stranded runners at second and third in the 7th inning, and stranded another at second in the 8th.
It was during the 8th that things had gotten interesting, though. Leading off the inning with a 3-2 count, Correa took a pitch that was easily at least 3-4 inches below his knees; Ben May, umpiring behind the dish, rung him up. While Correa incredulously returned to the dugout, A.J. Hinch came out to argue and got tossed, probably as much in an effort to light a fire under his team as it was to argue the call itself. That low strike continued to be called repeatedly for the remainder of the game, prompting several hitters to turn around and likely question May’s parents’ marital status at the time of his birth.
Anyway, Josh Fields and Tony Sipp combined to hold the Mariners scoreless in the 8th and 9th innings and the stage was set for the Astros to go out with a whimper. Leading off the bottom of the 9th, Luis Valbuena hit his first homer into the second deck in right field, tying the game and giving M’s closer Steve Cishek his first blown save of the season.
There was also a bizarre moment between the 9th and 10th innings where Carlos Gomez, as he was taking the field in the top of the 10th, made a beeline for first base umpire Jeff Nelson and started arguing about something. Maybe it was about the strike zone, maybe it was about his 0x4 night, maybe Gomez is having buyer’s remorse about his shaved head – who knows, but Gomez got himself tossed. Kind of a dumb thing to do, especially since that left only one player – the indomitable Eric Kratz – on the bench. Had the game gone longer than 10 innings it could have played a big factor.
Well, it didn’t go 10 innings. Sipp stayed on the mound for the 10th and gave up a 1-out solo blast to Robinson Cano, his second of the night. And after that is when the Astros went quietly; Cishek pitched a perfect 10th, nailing down quite possibly the ultimate “look at all the fucks I give” stat combo of a blown save and a win.