HOUSTON — They weren’t strikes. They weren’t even particularly good pitches for a hitter to swing at in search of success.
And yet they all resulted in hits that hurt the Mariners and helped the Astros ignite a four-run seventh inning that extinguished any of Seattle’s hopes of a sweep of the two-game series as Houston posted a 7-5 victory Wednesday.
Reliever Juan Nicasio was on the receiving end of the bad luck that this team has been able to avoid in recent weeks.
Brought in to protect a 4-3 lead in the seventh, Nicasio gave up a leadoff single to Tony Kemp and it only got worse.