HOUSTON -- Zach Cole singled past a drawn-in infield to score Brice Matthews from third base in the 10th inning and send the Astros to their first walk-off win of the season, 4-3, over the Mariners on Wednesday night at Daikin Park to snap a four-game losing streak.
The win also snapped Houston’s nine-game losing streak to the Mariners, a team it spent the better part of a decade dominating. It’s the Astros’ first win over the Mariners since July 20, 2025.
Lance McCullers Jr. notched his 900th career strikeout in the second inning, and Jose Altuve drove in his 900th career run with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the eighth to give the Astros a 3-2 lead. Astros reliever Bryan King issued a bases-loaded walk to Julio Rodríguez in the ninth to allow the tying run to score.
Altuve, who drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to tie the game, became the fifth player in Astros history to reach 900 RBIs, joining Jeff Bagwell (1,529), Craig Biggio (1,175), Lance Berkman (1,090) and Jose Cruz (942). McCullers is the 15th pitcher in club history to reach 900 strikeouts, but is the fastest at 154 games.
McCullers Jr., whose previous start was cut short when he broke the nail on his right index finder, weaved his way through 5 1/3 innings, allowing runs on solo homers by J.P. Crawford to start the game and Luke Raley in the sixth -- his final batter to cap a 90-pitch outing.
Mariners starter Bryce Miller, making his first start of the season after being activated from the injured list, carried a shutout into the sixth before Christian Walker hit a leadoff homer to right field. With one out in the inning, home-plate umpire Roberto Ortiz had to leave the game after taking a foul ball off his facemask, forcing a lengthy delay while another umpire suited up.
Miller’s first two pitches following the delay were singles by Braden Shewmake and Brice Matthews, and Zach Cole greeted reliever Cooper Criswell with a single to load the bases. Altuve drew a two-out walk to score Shewmake and tie the game before Yordan Alvarez grounded into an inning-ending fielder’s choice.