Luke Raley smashed a three-run home run, Bryan Woo pitched 5 2/3 strong innings, and the Seattle Mariners overcame Julio Rodríguez’s injury to defeat the Houston Astros 6-4 on Sunday.
Rodríguez exited the game in the sixth inning after twisting his right ankle while leaping for a flyball at the center field fence on a triple by Yordan Alvarez, who hit for the cycle.
Rodríguez clutched his ankle in pain and remained on the ground for several minutes before leaving the field with manager Scott Servais and trainer Taylor Bennett. Servais mentioned that initial X-rays were negative.
“He has a minor ankle sprain,” Servais stated. “Right now, it’s day-to-day. We’ll monitor his progress and see how he feels.”
Servais indicated that Rodríguez would likely undergo an MRI for further evaluation.
“We’ll take all necessary precautions to ensure he’s fully recovered before returning,” Servais added.
Alvarez collected three hits in the game, including a single in the first inning and a home run in the fourth inning off Woo. He completed the cycle with a double in the eighth inning against Mariners reliever Gregory Santos.
“I’m very happy,” Alvarez said. “I felt some pressure, but I knew I needed a double. When I hit the ball, I thought, ‘there it is.’”
This marked Alvarez’s first career cycle and the 10th in Astros history.
“That’s quite an accomplishment, especially for a power hitter,” Astros manager Joe Espada commented. “It shows his athleticism. He hit that homer, it looked like it went 500 feet, and then he tripled. It demonstrates not only his hitting ability but also his athleticism.”
Woo (4-1) retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and allowed only two hits through the first five innings. He concluded his outing with four hits and two earned runs, issuing no walks while striking out five batters.
