Bryan Woo allowed one hit over five scoreless injuries before departing with an injury and Julio Rodriguez slugged the first of four solo home runs by the Seattle Mariners, who claimed the opener of a crucial three-game weekend series with the host Houston Astros 4-0 on Friday.
The Mariners (85-69) won for the 12th time in 13 games and moved one game ahead of the Astros (84-70) into first place in the American League West with eight games remaining.
Woo (15-7) earned his fifth consecutive winning decision and dominated while doing so. He needed only 31 pitches to complete one trip through the Houston lineup and retired the first 10 batters he faced before Astros third baseman Carlos Correa roped a double to right-center field with one out in the bottom of the fourth. When Isaac Paredes followed with a walk, Woo found himself in his lone bind of the night with Jose Altuve at the plate representing the go-ahead run.
Woo immediately responded to the threat with strikeouts of Altuve and Zach Cole to snuff the rally. He retired Christian Walker on a called third strike to open the fifth before setting down Yainer Diaz and Jesus Sanchez to close that frame. Woo returned to the mound for the sixth, but departed following a few warmup pitches after a visit from Mariners manager Dan Wilson.
It marked just the third time this season that Woo recorded fewer than 18 outs. He notched seven strikeouts and threw 67 pitches — 45 for strikes — while allowing one hit and one walk.
Rodriguez blasted a 2-0 sinker from Astros right-hander Hunter Brown (12-8) out to left field with two outs in the top of the first for his 31st home run and a 1-0 lead. With one out in the fourth, Eugenio Suarez clubbed his 47th home run 425 feet to left-center and doubled the lead to 2-0.
Those were the lone tallies Brown, who recorded his 200th strikeout of the season in the sixth, surrendered. He allowed five hits, issued two walks and posted nine strikeouts over six innings.
Victor Robles and Josh Naylor socked their first and 20th homers, respectively, off Astros relievers Enyel De Los Santos and Craig Kimbrel in the seventh and eighth innings.
