Mariners 8, Astros 7: Robinson Cano and Willie Bloomquist each drove in two runs as visiting Seattle defeated Houston in the finale of a three-game series.

John Buck went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI as the Mariners won for the seventh time in nine games. Corey Hart and Michael Saunders added run-scoring singles for Seattle while Alex Presley and Jonathan Villar hit solo homers for the Astros.

Brandon Maurer (1-0) made it through five innings despite allowing four runs and six hits. Houston pulled within 8-6 on a two-run pinch single by Marc Krauss off Danny Farquhar in the eighth and added a ninth-inning run on Jason Castro’s single before Farquhar struck out Matt Dominguez for his first save.

Presley’s second-inning homer tied the contest at one before Seattle scored four times off Collin McHugh (2-1) in the third on Bloomquist’s two-run double, Cano’s triple and Hart’s single. Saunders delivered a run-scoring single in the fourth to make it 6-1 before Chris Carter hit a two-run double in the bottom of the inning for the Astros.

Dustin Ackley drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth to give Seattle a 7-3 edge before Villar homered in the bottom of the inning. Buck’s RBI single in the top of the eighth again made it a four-run game before the Astros tightened it back up and Farquhar achieved a six-out save with Mariners closer Fernando Rodney unavailable due to recent heavy use.

GAME NOTEBOOK: McHugh gave up six runs (five earned) and eight hits in four innings after allowing one in 15 1/3 innings over his first two starts. … Cano went 2-for-5 for his fifth multihit outing in the past nine games. … The Astros recalled LHP Darin Downs from Triple-A Oklahoma City and LHP Raul Valdes was designated for assignment.