Keuchel matches home win milestone in Astros victory

(The Sports Xchange) - Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel matched the club record for consecutive home wins and received ample run support as the Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 8-3 at Minute Maid Park on Monday. Keuchel (16-6) leads the American League in wins after allowing one run on six hits and one walk with eight strikeouts over seven innings to maintain his place among the American League Cy Young Award candidates. He earned his 13th consecutive home win, a streak that dates to last season and matches the franchise mark set by right-hander Danny Darwin in 1990. "He doesn't have all the power in his stuff but he knows how to pitch," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said of Keuchel. "He uses his arsenal very well. He's in and out, up and down, changes his speed. He's pretty good." Astros third baseman Jed Lowrie, catcher Hank Conger and rookie shortstop Carlos Correa all homered off Mariners left-hander Vidal Nuno (0-2) to help Houston clinch the season series over the Mariners. The Astros (73-59) improved to 7-1 at home against Seattle this season. The Mariners (61-71), meanwhile, dropped an eighth consecutive road series opener against an AL opponent. Keuchel surrendered his first home run at Minute Maid Park this season with two outs in the second inning when Mariners first baseman Mark Trumbo crushed an opposite-field shot to the upper deck in right. In the bottom of the fourth, the Astros responded, but not until after Keuchel escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the top of the frame by inducing a double play from left fielder Franklin Gutierrez before striking out Trumbo to strand a pair of base runners in scoring position. "It was very big," Keuchel said of his escape act in a 1-1 game. "It wasn't an ideal situation, but (I was) thankful enough to kind of make some pitches and do some weak contact." Correa, Lowrie and designated hitter Evan Gattis recorded two-RBI games for the Astros. Nuno surrendered five runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings. "Giving up those home runs killed it a little bit," Nuno said. "I was leaving the ball up, command was off a little bit. But otherwise, the changeup and off-speed were all working." (Compiled by John O'Brien)