SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 13: Josh Naylor #12 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 13, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Maddy Grassy / Getty Images)
SEATTLE - Josh Naylor clubbed his first two home runs of the season as he drove in five runs, and the Seattle Mariners completed a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 6-2 win on Monday afternoon.
While Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez have headlined Seattle's offensive struggles to begin the season, it's been Naylor who has actually been coldest to start the year. Though he hasn't struck out as much as Raleigh or Rodríguez, Naylor entered Monday's game with just six hits in 59 at-bats this season, with an OPS of just .299.
But home runs in his first two at-bats against Houston starter Mike Burrows helped Naylor lead the way to a four-game sweep and a seventh straight win over the Astros dating back to last season.
Naylor homered on a pair of 96 mph fastballs from Burrows, just clearing the wall in right field in the first inning for a three-run homer, and a blast to center for a two-run blast in the third to give Seattle a 5-0 lead.
Meanwhile, George Kirby was sharp on the mound for the Mariners, running into a little trouble in the fifth inning over an otherwise strong 7 ⅔ innings pitched.
Kirby allowed three lone singles through the first four innings before Houston got on the board in the fifth. Three straight singles from Cam Smith, Taylor Trammell and Yainer Diaz to lead off the inning brought the first run home to trim Seattle's lead to 5-1. Trammell then scored on a double play ball from Nick Allen to cut the lead to 5-2, but it would be the only offense Houston would manage against Kirby.
Kirby finished the day allowing two runs on seven hits with a lone walk and six strikeouts on 99 pitches. Matt Brash and Cole Wilcox combined for the final four outs for Seattle as Houston didn't managed a single extra-base hit in the game.
Rodríguez singled to lead-off the bottom of the fifth for Seattle and came around to score on Luke Raley's two-out single to push the lead back to four, 6-2.
The Mariners had 11 hits off Burrows with a walk and three strikeouts during his six innings on the mound.
In total, the Mariners scored 29 runs in the four-game set with Houston, which is more than they'd scored in their previous 10 games combined entering the series. Seattle is now 8-9 on the season and a game back in the AL West race after a scuffling 4-9 start to the year.
What's next:
The Mariners head to San Diego for a quick three-game road trip before returning to Seattle on Friday. RHP Bryan Woo (0-1, 1.50 ERA) will square off with RHP Michael King (1-1, 3.24) ERA in the first game of the series on Tuesday at Petco Park.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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