Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Jake Marisnick's three-run blast was the last of five Houston home runs, fueling a 10-1 takedown of playoff-hopeful Seattle in the second of three between the clubs.
Chris Carter and Alex Presley each hit a two-run shot in the first, while Matt Dominguez and Carlos Corporan added solo homers for the Astros, who dropped a 10-5 decision in Friday's opener.
Dexter Fowler finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Dallas Keuchel (12-9) scattered a run on seven hits with eight strikeouts over eight solid innings.
"That was pretty easy," said Houston interim manager Tom Lawless. "Just watching Dallas go out there, and the offense scoring bunches of runs early in the game. All we had to do was sit back and watch."
Robinson Cano drove in the lone run for the Mariners. Chris Young (12-9) was pulled in the fourth, having surrendered eight hits and seven runs -- including four of Houston's longballs.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "The fact is we're down the home stretch right now, so what do you do? He's a veteran guy and he said he feels good. Tonight it just didn't come out very well."
Seattle remained a game back of Oakland for the AL's first wild card slot, as the A's lost at home to the Phillies, and one-half game back of Kansas City for the second spot.
The Astros struck early to give Keuchel some breathing room, thanks to a pair of two-run shots in the opening frame. Robbie Grossman began the inning with a single, stole second and scored when Carter dropped a ball into the left-field seats. Fowler followed with a double and Presley reached the bleachers in right for a 4-0 score.
Jose Altuve's RBI hit in the second boosted Houston's advantage, then Cano put the Mariners on the board in the third with a single that scored Austin Jackson.
Dominguez and Corporan then hit back-to-back homers to kick off the home fourth to make it 7-1.
"Hitting is contagious. This is what's all about, everybody rooting for everybody, and everybody is playing for everybody," Corporan noted.
Marisnick launched a ball into the Crawford Boxes for a 10-1 score in the bottom of the seventh. Fowler and Presley each hit consecutive two-out singles to keep the inning alive after Altuve was erased on a Carter double-play grounder.
Keuchel retired the final 11 batters he faced and Michael Foltynewicz completed the rout by stranding a runner on second in the ninth.
Game Notes
Altuve's hit in the seventh inning gave him 218 on the season, surpassing Rod Carew for most by a second baseman in one season since 1937 ... Altuve's first hit of the contest set a new major-league record for hits in one season by a native of Venezuela, surpassing Magglio Ordonez (216) for Detroit in 2007 ... Keuchel reached the 200-inning plateau for the first time in his three-year MLB career.
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