Justin Verlander produced another strong start, and Alex Bregman had three hits and three RBIs as the Houston Astros rolled to a 7-2 victory over the visiting Seattle Mariners on Wednesday afternoon to sweep the three-game series.

Verlander (3-1) allowed two runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings, leaving in the seventh after Eugenio Suarez’s two-run home run. Verlander racked up 101 pitches, the most since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020, struck out three and did not walk a batter.

The Astros jumped on top in the bottom of the first on Yuli Gurriel’s two-out double off Seattle starter Matt Brash (1-3).

Houston added three runs in the second on Michael Brantley’s two-run single and Bregman’s ensuing run-scoring single.

Bregman’s sacrifice fly to right field in the fourth drove home Jose Altuve and his double off the wall in center field in the sixth expanded the lead to 6-0. Yordan Alvarez’s single then brought home Bregman with the Astros’ final run. Bregman finished 3-for-3.

The Mariners did not get a runner to third base in the first two games of the series, when they were shut out 3-0 and 4-0, respectively. Suarez’s homer in the seventh marked the first time in the series that Seattle had a runner reach third base and ended a 26 1/3-inning scoreless streak for Astros pitching.

Houston pitching allowed two runs on just 14 hits — 13 singles — in the three-game set.

Two of the Mariners’ four hits on Wednesday came from J.P. Crawford.

Brash took the loss in his second straight troublesome outing, He lasted just three innings, allowing four runs on six hits with four walks. Brash surrendered six runs on seven hits in just two innings in his previous outing against Miami on Friday.

The Astros had 10 hits in the win, with Brantley going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Every batter in Houston’s starting lineup was on base at least once.

–Field Level Media