Christian Walker delivered a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
With the game tied at 3, Jose Altuve led off the ninth with a single. Walker followed with his third hit of the day, sending a fastball from Mariners reliever Casey Legumina (4-2) into the left field seats to end the game and secure a 3-1 series win for Houston over the AL West-leading Mariners.
Walker had been in a slump entering Sunday’s game, with only three hits across his previous seven games. His three-RBI performance tied a season high.
Houston’s Bryan King (3-0) earned the win after striking out Randy Arozarena to end the top of the ninth.
Mariners manager Dan Wilson was ejected for the first time in his career after arguing the call with home plate umpire Laz Diaz.
Seattle had a scoring chance in the eighth inning with runners on first and third and one out, but second baseman Mauricio Dubón threw home to get J.P. Crawford at the plate on a grounder by Ben Williamson. Leo Rivas then grounded out to end the inning.
The Astros threatened in both the seventh and eighth innings but failed to capitalize. In the seventh, they loaded the bases with one out but hit into a double play.
In the eighth, they loaded the bases again with two outs before Isaac Paredes grounded out to end the inning.
Houston tied the game in the sixth when Cam Smith hit a double down the right field line to score Jake Meyers from first. Earlier in the third, Walker drove in a run with a single, and a sacrifice fly by Victor Caratini scored Altuve to cut Seattle’s lead to 3-2.
Seattle took a 3-0 lead in the early innings. Julio Rodríguez and Randy Arozarena hit back-to-back singles with two outs in the first before Mitch Garver doubled to center to drive in two.
Rodríguez later scored in the third on a two-out RBI single by Donovan Solano.
Rodríguez finished with three hits, and Garver had two RBIs.
Seattle starter Luis Castillo allowed nine hits and three runs while striking out six over six innings. His 114 pitches tied Cincinnati’s Hunter Greene for the most thrown in a game this season.
Houston’s Colton Gordon, making his third major league start, gave up seven hits and three runs across five innings.
The teams combined to go just 4 for 22 with runners in scoring position.
Both clubs are off Monday. The Astros begin a series against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, while the Mariners return home to face the Washington Nationals.
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