Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker power Astros past Mariners 7-0

The Houston Astros answered a three-game skid with a 7-0 shutout of the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Sept. 22. Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker each drove in three runs, and the Astros moved to 78-79, level with Texas atop the American League West after the Rangers lost to the Mets.

Houston put pressure on Logan Gilbert immediately. Alvarez's first-inning single scored Jeremy Peña, and the Astros loaded the bases with no outs in the third before Walker cleared them with a three-run homer to left. Gilbert escaped the rest of that inning, but the early damage gave Houston a lead its pitching staff never let go.

Isaac Paredes added a solo home run in the sixth, his 23rd of the season. Alvarez finished the scoring in the eighth with a two-run shot to right, his 41st homer. The blast tied Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero for the American League lead, according to the Associated Press recap. Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a walk, three RBIs and a run. Walker was 1-for-5 with his three-run homer, while Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz each collected two hits.

Houston's pitching turned the long balls into a complete team win. Miguel Ullola earned the decision after two scoreless innings, and the Astros used seven pitchers to hold Seattle to four hits. Cristian Javier, Bennett Sousa and Logan VanWey each added scoreless work before the later relievers finished the shutout. Julio Rodríguez had two of Seattle's hits, but the Mariners did not score and committed the game's only error.

Gilbert took the loss after allowing four runs on 10 hits in four innings. Seattle's offense drew nine walks and put runners on base, yet Houston erased each threat without allowing a run. The Astros' 12 hits gave them sustained traffic, while three home runs supplied the separation. With the win, Houston turned a difficult week into a division-race reset and left Seattle needing a response in the next game of the series.