HOUSTON — Who are these guys?
Before the Mariners’ first trip to Minute Maid Park this year, it was a fair question to ask about a Houston Astros team sitting, curiously, in last place in the American League West.
By the end of Friday night’s game, the same question could reasonably be asked about another typically dominant squad: the Mariners’ bullpen.
In a rare letdown, the Mariners’ relievers squandered a two-run lead in a disastrous seventh inning, gift-wrapping the Astros a 5-3 victory in the opener of a key early-season series.
Jorge Polanco hit a solo homer in the third inning, Dylan Moore added a two-run shot off Astros starter Ronel Blanco to give the Mariners a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning.
George Kirby threw six sharp innings, allowing only one run, with four hits, no walks and three strikeouts.
He was pulled after 88 pitches. Manager Scott Servais turned the game over to a Mariners bullpen ranked No. 1 in the majors in most major statistical categories.
Servais wound up going to the bullpen two more times in the seventh inning, using three relievers who wound up surrendering four runs on five walks — yes, five — and two hits in the inning.
The Astros sent 10 batters to the plate, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 5-3 lead.
A throwing error from catcher Cal Raleigh, trying to pick off a runner at third, added to the misery in the seventh.
It all started with a walk. Trent Thornton issued the free pass to Jeremy Peña to lead off the seventh, then took a hard-hit comebacker off his left leg from Yainer Diaz on what ended up as an infield single.
With one out, Servais called on Gabe Speier, who walked the first batter he faced, pinch-hitter Jake Meyers, to load the bases.
Mauricio Dubon followed with a sacrifice fly to right fielder Mitch Haniger, who was camped under the ball when center fielder Julio Rodriguez crept in blindly and bumped into Haniger. Still, Haniger made the catch, but couldn’t get a throw off toward home.
That allowed Diaz to score easily from third base, and helped Meyers advance to third.
Jose Altuve, the Astros’ 34-year-old second baseman and longtime Mariners’ nemesis, then dropped down a bunt single off Speier to drive in Meyers for the go-ahead run with two outs.
Speier walked the next two batters — sluggers Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez — prompting Servais to call on a third reliever, Cody Bolton.
Bolton walked the first batter he faced, Alex Bregman, on a 3-2 pitch that appeared to catch the outside corner. Bolton didn’t get the call from plate umpire Adrian Johnson, and Altuve walked home for the final run of the inning.
The Mariners, trailing by two, quickly threatened in the top of the eighth inning after back-to-back singles from Josh Rojas and Rodriguez.
Then, more disaster.
With Rojas and Rodriguez both in scoring position, Polanco struck out.
Haniger followed with a high fly ball to straightaway right field. Tucker camped underneath and made the catch, and Rojas took several aggressive steps toward home, bluffing as if he was going home. He retreated instead.
Rodriguez, however, had his head down after tagging up at second and didn’t see Rojas’ bluff. Tucker threw home and Rodriguez was caught between bases — and the resulting 9-2-4-1-6-2 double play ended the inning and ended any real hope of a Mariners’ rally.