SEATTLE (Interstat) — In a contest defined by early chaos and a late, decisive rally, the Seattle Mariners overcame a rocky start and a late-inning scare to defeat the Houston Astros 9-6 on Friday night at T-Mobile Park, snapping a three-game skid.

A crowd of 44,468 watched as the Mariners, who had scored just five total runs in their previous three games, erupted for a four-run seventh inning to break a 5-5 tie and secure the victory. The win improved Seattle’s record to 5-9, while Houston fell to 6-8.

The game’s most critical sequence unfolded in the bottom of the seventh, turning a tied game into a comfortable Seattle lead. The inning began with Luke Raley being hit by a pitch. Cole Young followed with a single, moving Raley to third. Dominic Canzone then delivered a pivotal double down the right-field line, scoring Raley and giving Seattle a 6-5 lead. After an intentional walk to Leo Rivas loaded the bases, J.P. Crawford singled sharply up the middle to drive in another run. The final blow came from Cal Raleigh, whose groundout to second base plated a fourth run in the inning, capping the outburst at 9-5.

This offensive surge rendered moot a dramatic three-run homer by Houston’s Yordan Alvarez in the top of the eighth. Alvarez’s two-out blast to right field, his fifth of the season, scored Christian Vázquez and Jeremy Peña and pulled the Astros to within 9-8. It was the defining moment for Houston, as Alvarez finished 2-for-3 with a walk, a home run and three RBIs.

The game began in bizarre fashion, with Seattle striking for three runs in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Astros starter Ryan Weiss struggled profoundly with his command, walking three batters and hitting another. A bases-loaded walk to Josh Naylor forced in the first run, and Randy Arozarena was then hit by a pitch to force in a second. The third run scored on a challenged groundout by Raley, where a replay review overturned the initial call at the plate, allowing Julio Rodríguez to score.

Houston answered immediately in the second inning against Mariners starter Emerson Hancock. A single by Isaac Paredes, a walk to Christian Walker and a single by Carlos Correa loaded the bases with no outs. Hancock nearly escaped, recording two quick outs, but catcher Christian Vázquez cleared the bases with a three-run double down the left-field line, tying the game at 3-3.

Seattle reclaimed the lead in the fifth when Arozarena launched a two-run homer to left-center off Weiss, scoring Naylor, who had singled. Arozarena went 2-for-4 with the home run and three RBIs.

Hancock (2-1) earned the win despite the early trouble, lasting five innings and allowing three earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk. The Mariners bullpen, a key factor, provided four innings of one-run relief. Gabe Speier, Eduard Bazardo and Matt Brash navigated the sixth and seventh, with Brash recording two critical outs in the seventh to strand a runner. After Alvarez’s homer in the eighth, Andrés Muñoz worked a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season, striking out one.

Weiss (0-2) took the loss for Houston, surrendering five earned runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked six, struck out three and hit two batters. The Astros bullpen saw mixed results; Steven Okert was excellent with 1 2/3 perfect innings and two strikeouts, but the combination of pitchers in the seventh inning could not contain the Mariners’ rally.

The game featured several defensive challenges, with both teams successfully overturning calls via replay. Seattle turned three double plays to stifle Houston threats, including inning-enders in the third, sixth and eighth.

The victory defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 5-1 Houston win, though the ELO system gave Seattle a 55.9% probability. The combined 15 runs sailed over the posted over/under line of 7.5.

The two teams continue their four-game series Saturday at T-Mobile Park.