HOUSTON -- It was a familiar feeling for the Mariners, but not a good one. As Daniel Vogelbach flung his bat following his game-ending flyout to right field, the Mariners watched the Astros and their fans at Minute Maid Park erupt in the unfettered joy that a no-hitter brings.
Unless you’re on the other side, which the Mariners found themselves for the second time in a 22-day span, victims of a combined no-hitter by new Astros starter Aaron Sanchez and a trio of relievers in a 9-0 loss on Saturday night.
There have been three no-hitters in the Majors this season, and Seattle has been on the wrong side of two, having also been blanked in a combo no-hitter on July 12 in Anaheim on the day the Angels were honoring departed teammate Tyler Skaggs.
“It’s kind of embarrassing, but it’s baseball,” said Mariners right fielder Mallex Smith, who drew one of the Mariners’ four walks on the night. “It’s sports. Sometimes the dice roll your way, sometimes they don’t.”
The Mariners are the first team to be no-hit twice in the same season since the Dodgers and Mets in 2015.
After dealing veteran starter Mike Leake and two relievers from an already shorthanded bullpen at Wednesday’s Trade Deadline, it was evident that pitching could be a problem over the final two months for a Seattle club that is pointed more toward the future.
But nobody said anything about an offense that has gone into hibernation in back-to-back losses to the Astros to start August.
Before this past month, the Mariners had been no-hit only three times in the franchise’s 43-year history -- a combined effort by the Angels in 1990, by Dwight Gooden for the Yankees in ‘96 and in a perfect game by the White Sox’s Philip Humber in 2012.
The Mariners have totaled just three hits in losses to Wade Miley and Sanchez in the first two games of the series. Next comes Astros ace Justin Verlander in Sunday’s finale.
Sanchez threw six no-hit innings in his first start since being acquired from the Blue Jays, where he went 3-14 with a 6.07 ERA this season and lost 13 straight decisions. Relievers Will Harris, Joe Biagini and Chris Devenski each threw an inning to complete the 12th no-hitter in Astros history.
"Sanchez pitched different tonight than he typically does," Servais said. "Going into the game, we know what Houston likes their guys to do. He quickly jumped on board with what they like to do over there, and he got results. You’ve got to give him credit. He was riding more four-seamers up in the zone. Typically, he’s been more two-seam down. But he did a good job tonight.”
The Mariners had five baserunners on the night with the four walks and a hit batter, but they only advanced a runner past first base once, with Smith walking, stealing second and advancing to third on a groundout in the sixth inning. With Smith dancing off third base, Sanchez got Kyle Seager and Omar Narvaez to ground out to second base to end that threat before turning the ball over to his bullpen after 92 pitches.
“I was hoping because I’m on base, guys behind me could get more fastballs, better pitches to hit and we could break the whole no-hitter,” Smith said. “It just didn’t work that way.”
As the innings mounted, the Mariners felt the tension rising.
“You definitely feel it,” said Seager. “Nobody wants to get no-hit. It’s not a good feeling. It’s certainly not how we planned to go tonight. But you have to give them all the credit in the world. They threw the ball really, really well tonight. They executed their pitches, made plays behind ‘em and we didn’t do ours.”
Seager and Smith were the only two Mariners starters to have faced Sanchez before and were a combined 5-for-12 with a home run against him. Both said they weren’t surprised by much from the 27-year-old right-hander, who was a 2016 All-Star with Toronto.
“I haven’t faced him in a couple years,” Seager said. “I remember his stuff being really, really good. The stuff didn’t shock anybody. We knew he had good stuff and he certainly executed tonight. He definitely has a good curveball, and he used it really well. You have to give him a lot of credit. He made a [heck] of a debut.”
The Mariners are 1-11 this season against Houston, which improved to 72-40 atop the American League West. Seattle has lost three straight after a six-game win streak and sits at the bottom of the division at 47-66.