Morton solid, but offense stymied vs. Mariners

1 Houston

Houston News & Search

1 News - 1 eMovies - 1 eMusic - 1 eBooks - 1 Search

Carlos Correa had three hits off Paxton, including two infield singles, but the Astros never pushed a runner past second against the hard-throwing 28-year-old.

Nelson Cruz snapped out of an early-season slump with a two-run, bases-loaded single off Astros starter Charlie Morton in the fifth, and Kyle Seager followed with a sacrifice fly to spot Paxton a 3-0 lead. Cruz was 2-for-26 on the season until he singled in his final three at-bats.

Cruz's two-run single — Cruz’s two-run single

HOU@SEA: Cruz rips single to center, plates a pair

Nelson Cruz gives the Mariners a 2-0 lead in the 5th as his single to center brings home Taylor Motter and Mitch Haniger

Morton gave up seven hits and three runs over five innings before being lifted after 89 pitches. He’s 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two starts, both against Seattle.

The Astros dropped their first road game of the season, evening their record at 4-4, while Seattle bounced back from a difficult opening road trip to improve to 2-6.

Greg Johns has covered the Mariners since 1997, and for MLB.com since 2011. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB and listen to his podcast.

Brian McTaggart has covered the Astros since 2004, and for MLB.com since 2009. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter and listen to his podcast.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.