SEATTLE (Interstat) — Yordan Alvarez homered and drove in three runs, Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes also went deep, and Houston’s bullpen combined on a four-hit shutout as the Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 7-0 at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday night. Houston improved to 78-79. Seattle fell to 73-84. The game lasted 3 hours, 3 minutes and drew an announced crowd of 33,382. The Astros won the opener of a brief two-game series and snapped a three-game losing streak. Seattle lost the first game of its final homestand of September.

Miguel Ullola earned the win for Houston with two scoreless innings to begin the game. He allowed one hit and struck out two, moving to 1-0 on the season. Logan Gilbert took the loss for Seattle and fell to 12-11. Gilbert was touched early when Jeremy Peña singled to open the game and scored on Alvarez’s single to right. Houston loaded the bases later in the first on singles by Paredes and Jose Altuve. Yainer Diaz was called out on strikes after a pitch-result challenge was confirmed, and Christian Walker and Taylor Trammell each flew out, leaving Houston ahead 1-0.

Seattle had a chance to answer in the bottom of the first. J.P. Crawford flew out to right, but Randy Arozarena walked after a pitch-result challenge was overturned. Dominic Canzone struck out, Cal Raleigh walked, and Julio Rodríguez flew out sharply to center, ending the threat. The Mariners also put a runner on in the second when Cole Young singled with one out. Lazaro Montes flew out to right, and Brock Rodden struck out swinging to strand Young.

Houston missed a chance to add on in the second. Cam Smith doubled to center, and Brice Matthews walked. Peña grounded into a double play, with Smith moving to third and Matthews out at second. Gilbert then intentionally walked Alvarez. Paredes grounded into a force out to end the inning, keeping the score at 1-0. Seattle could not take advantage. Josh Naylor lined out to center, Young singled, Montes flew out, and Rodden struck out.

The Astros broke through in the third. Altuve singled, Diaz singled, and Walker followed with a three-run homer to left field, his 26th of the season. The drive scored Altuve and Diaz and gave Houston a 4-0 lead. Trammell grounded out, Smith reached on a throwing error by third baseman Brock Rodden, and Matthews singled to right. Peña struck out swinging, and Alvarez grounded into a force out to end the inning. Seattle went down in order in the third around a hit batter, as Crawford flew out, Arozarena was hit by a pitch, Canzone popped out, and Raleigh flew out.

Paredes extended the lead in the sixth. After Peña was called out on strikes and Alvarez lined out sharply to right, Paredes homered to left field, his 23rd, making it 5-0. Altuve then flew out to left. Seattle threatened in the fifth when Crawford walked and Canzone singled to center with one out, putting runners at the corners. Raleigh flew out to center to end the inning. In the sixth, Rodríguez flew out, Naylor struck out, Young walked, and Montes struck out swinging.

Houston added two insurance runs in the eighth. Nelson Velázquez popped out to first, but Peña was hit by a pitch. Alvarez then homered to right field, his 41st, scoring Peña and pushing the lead to 7-0. Paredes walked, Altuve struck out on a foul tip, and Diaz grounded into a force out. Seattle put a runner on in the eighth when Rodríguez singled, but Naylor grounded into a double play, with Rodríguez out at second and Naylor out at first. The Mariners went quietly in the ninth as Young struck out, Montes flew out, and Michael Arroyo struck out.

Alvarez finished 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Walker went 1-for-5 with a three-run homer and three RBIs. Paredes was 2-for-4 with a home run and one RBI. Houston finished with 12 hits to Seattle’s four. The Astros collected four extra-base hits, while the Mariners’ four hits were all singles. Houston also drew five walks and had one batter hit by a pitch. Houston’s pitching staff was sharp behind Ullola. Bennett Sousa pitched two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out three. Logan VanWey followed with two scoreless innings, yielding one hit and striking out two. Cristian Javier worked two scoreless innings, giving up one hit, walking two and striking out two. AJ Blubaugh closed with a scoreless ninth, allowing no hits and one walk. Seattle’s Eduard Bazardo threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits, walking one and striking out one. José A. Ferrer worked 1 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and one earned run while striking out two.

The Astros had dropped three straight and five of six before Tuesday, including a weekend sweep at home against Atlanta. The win moved Houston back to within one game of .500 and gave the club a positive start to its final road trip of the regular season. Seattle had won two of three in Colorado before returning home and remained well below .500. The teams are scheduled to meet again Wednesday at T-Mobile Park to complete the two-game series. Houston will then travel to for a four-game set, while Seattle will host the Los Angeles Angels for four games.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Seattle Mariners 5, Houston Astros 3. Its ELO system had given Seattle a 51.4 percent probability to win. Seattle had been installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 7 went over the over/under line of 7.5.