HOUSTON — Julio Rodríguez and Mike Ford homered, Bryce Miller threw 6 1/3 shutout innings and the Seattle Mariners extended their winning streak to four games with a 2-0 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
The Mariners took a half-game lead over Toronto in the race for the third, and final, AL wild-card spot. Seattle trails Houston by 2 1/2 games for the second wild-card spot.
Rodríguez continued to swing a hot bat, finishing with four hits, including a solo home run to left field in the third. He had five hits and drove in five RBIs on Thursday and went 12 for 21 in the four-game series against the Royals.
Rodríguez tied a club record by hitting safely in nine straight at-bats, but that run was halted on a fielding error by Jeremy Peña in the seventh. Danny Valencia, in June 2017, and Raúl Ibañez, in September 2004, also hit safely in nine consecutive at-bats for the Mariners.
Ford hit a solo home run to right in the sixth.
Miller (8-4) scattered two hits and struck out two. The rookie right-hander retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and set down eight straight before exiting following an error by José Caballero.
Justin Topa threw 1 2/3 shutout innings, and Andrés Muñoz pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
The Mariners were 0 for 17 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.
Houston threatened in the ninth. Jose Altuve led off with a single, but was retired on a fielder’s choice by Alex Bregman. Yordan Alvarez followed with an infield single, but Yainer Diaz hit into a double play to end it.
J.P. France (9-4) surrendered two runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts in six innings. The rookie right-hander has allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of his last 12 starts. His ERA is 2.75.
Diaz had two hits. Altuve went 1 for 4 and has 1,998 hits for his career.
