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George Kirby carried a shutout into the seventh inning and the Seattle Mariners rode home runs from Eugenio Suarez and J.P. Crawford to a 5-1 road win over the Houston Astros on Thursday.

Kirby, added to the American League All-Star Game roster on Tuesday, recorded his 14th quality start, matching Chicago Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman for the most in the majors. It also marked the 44th quality start for the Mariners’ rotation, one behind the Minnesota Twins for most in the majors.

Kirby (8-7) sidestepped a two-out walk to Kyle Tucker in the bottom of the first inning and worked around a pair of two-out baserunners in the second before finding his groove. He retired eight consecutive batters prior to Corey Julks notching his second single in as many at-bats with one out in the fifth. Kirby responded by striking out two of the next three batters before inducing an inning-ending double-play grounder from Jose Abreu that erased Tucker and capped the sixth.

Fittingly, it was Julks who ended the shutout bid with his third hit off Kirby, a two-out double that scored Yainer Diaz from first base in the seventh. Reliever Matt Brash stranded Julks at second with a strikeout of pinch-hitter Bligh Madris, closing the book on Kirby. The 25-year-old right-hander allowed one run on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Kirby threw 93 pitches, 64 for strikes.

Astros rookie right-hander Ronel Blanco (2-1) recorded a career-high nine strikeouts but was undone by the longball. Suarez plated Jarred Kelenic with his two-run blast to left in the second, spotting the Mariners a 2-0 lead with his 10th home run. An inning later, Crawford recorded his eighth homer with a 371-foot drive to right with one out, extending the Seattle advantage to 3-0.

Blanco found his footing soon thereafter, retiring nine consecutive batters before escaping a one-out, two-on mess in the sixth with a strikeout of Kelenic. He allowed three runs on three hits and two walks over six innings to post a quality start.

Suarez added a 420-foot home run to center field off Rafael Montero in the ninth for his 14th career multi-homer game and first this season.

–Field Level Media