Yordan Álvarez two-run HR downs Mariners in 4-2 loss to Astros in Game 2

Yordan Álvarez delivered a two-out, two-run home run against Seattle Mariners ace Luis Castillo in the sixth inning that carried the Houston Astros to a 4-2 victory in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.

The Mariners trail in the best-of-five series 2-0 as the series shifts to Seattle for Game 3 on Saturday.

It's the second time in as many games that Álvarez has delivered the crushing blow for the Mariners. Álvarez delivered a walk-off three-run blast against Robbie Ray with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as the Astros stole Game 1 from Seattle.

Álvarez took a 98 mph fastball off the plate from Castillo out to left field to give the Astros the lead.

"Obviously he has done some damage against us in this series," manager Scott Servais said. "He's hot right now. You've got to recognize that. I think you kind of game plan in how you want to go through their lineup and the guys you want to be careful with. When you're throwing balls 3-4 inches off the plate and he hits them like that, he's in the zone, and he's a super talented player, and he's made us pay here the last couple days."

Alex Bregman added an RBI single that scored Jeremy Peña in the ninth inning for an insurance run. Peña drew a two-out walk to get on base and moved to second after an intentional walk of Álvarez.

Castillo was mostly fantastic for Seattle in his start. He pitched seven innings with five hits, three runs and seven strikeouts. However, the two home runs from Álvarez and Kyle Tucker were enough to sink the Mariners.

Tucker hammered a hanging slider from Castillo for a solo home run to right field as the Astros took a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

Houston starter Framber Valdez retired the first eight Mariners he faced before J.P. Crawford delivered a two-out double in the third inning. 

It took until the fourth inning for Seattle to cash in against the Houston starter. Eugenio Suárez walked and Mitch Haniger doubled with one out against Valdez in the fourth inning. Carlos Santana's chopper in front of the mound was thrown wide of home plate by Valdez for an error as Suárez raced home to tie the game at 1-1. Dylan Moore singled to right field to drive in Haniger as the Mariners took a 2-1 lead.

The Mariners put more pressure on Valdez in the sixth inning. Haniger drew a two-out walk and Santana double to the wall in right field to puts two runners on. Moore worked a walk to load the bases and end Valdez's outing as Astros manager Dusty Baker turned to Hector Neris to face Cal Raleigh.

Neris got Houston out of the jam as Raleigh grounded out weakly to shortstop to end the threat.

Valdez allowed two runs on four hits over 5 ⅔ innings with three walks and six strikeouts for the Astros.

The lost opportunity immediately came back to bite Seattle.

Peña's two-out flare to shallow center field dropped in for a base hit between Adam Frazier and a charging Julio Rodríguez. It evoked memories of Crawford's double against the Toronto Blue Jays helped lift Seattle in their Game 2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in the A.L. Wild Card series on Saturday. 

"Another pitch that probably wasn't in the strike zone tied him up. Luis made a great pitch. This game's a game of inches. They had a few things go their way today and that happens. We did not," Servais said.

"You have to find a way to grind through that and still figure out a way to win those games. It didn't happen today."

The hit allowed Tuesday's hero to get to the plate with a runner on. Álvarez then took Castillo's pitch out to left field in what was the decisive blow for Houston.

"It's what every pitcher wants, to retire the batter. I took the ball, a good pitch right out of the zone, and he was able to make contact with it," Castillo said.

"It was surprising on where the pitch was. All merit to him. He was able to contact it and score a home run, put them up 3-2."

Walks from Crawford and Ty France gave Seattle two runners with two outs in the seventh. Suárez's line drive to left field was run down by Álvarez to preserve the Houston advantage.

Jarred Kelenic, pinch-hitting for Moore in the eighth inning, just missed a home run that would have given Seattle the lead. His fly to right field came just feet shy of the wall. Cal Raleigh then struck out looking on a change-up from Rafael Montero to end the threat.

Houston added the extra run in the ninth on Bregman's RBI single before giving the ball to Ryan Pressly for the ninth.

Frazier drew a lead-off walk, but Crawford lined up directly to first baseman Yuli Gurriel, who doubled off Frazier to neuter the Mariners threat. Rodríguez doubled with two outs but Pressly struck out France to seal the victory for the Astros.

If Seattle is going to advance to the ALCS, it will take a 1995-esque rally from a 2-0 deficit to punch their ticket. Unlike the 1995 series with the New York Yankees, Game 5 would be back in Houston on Monday.

"Things happen. It's baseball," Servais said. "I wish it was supposed to go the way it's designed. It just doesn't work that way. I know that can be frustrating for many people. It is certainly frustrating for our team and myself today, but you look up, we got a game Saturday, we got to get ready to go win that one.