Mariners bring end to Astros' run in 5-HR rout

SEATTLE -- Maybe all Scott Servais needed to do was scramble his defense to generate a little offense.

After shuffling center fielder Mallex Smith to left field and flip-flopping Domingo Santana to right for the first time this season in an effort to bolster the defense, the two wound up providing much of the key offensive punch in the Mariners’ 14-1 win over the Astros on Wednesday as Seattle snapped a four-game losing streak in a big way.

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It was a welcome laugher for a Seattle squad that had gone 7-23 since May 1, while Houston was rolling up a 23-7 record. But the Mariners put an end to the Astros’ five-game win streak as well as their seven-game run against Seattle, dating back to last year, as they matched their highest-scoring output of the year.

“We were due to be on the other side of that type of a game,” Servais said. “We’ve certainly worn a few of those this year.”

Servais has tried a lot of things to turn around the Mariners’ freefall. He went with an opener for the first time on Monday, has begun using rookie utility man Dylan Moore at shortstop and Shed Long at second base, tried about every possible combination of relievers and now unveiled a new outfield alignment in the hope of improving one of the team’s glaring defensive concerns.

“Shoot, we’d lost too many in a row,” Smith said. “It was time to shake something up, get a different look. Make people a little more aware. Anything at this point. Guys were on their toes and it was a just a good momentum shift.”

And while the gloves played well in helping Mike Leake cruise through his first complete-game victory since 2015, it was the offensive revival that stood out as Smith continued his upward surge by going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs from the leadoff spot and Santana slugged the first of Seattle’s five home runs in a 2-for-5 night.

Santana’s opposite-field blast -- his 11th home run of the season -- kickstarted a seven-run sixth as catcher Tom Murphy followed with a two-run shot of his own and Edwin Encarnación capped things off with a three-run homer into the upper deck in left-center.

For good measure, pinch-hitter Mac Williamson -- who signed a Minor League deal earlier in the day and then was quickly promoted to Seattle after Braden Bishop was diagnosed with a lacerated spleen -- unloaded a three-run homer in his first at-bat in the eighth.

Kyle Seager finished the fireworks with a solo homer off Tyler White after the Astros shifted their first baseman to the mound when things got out of hand.

Gearing up the speed game

Smith’s contribution atop the lineup might be the most important part of that equation as the Mariners acquired the speedster to be part of their youthful core going forward, but he’d gotten off to a woeful start with his new club and just now is beginning to look like the player they’d anticipated.

Smith finally peeked his head above the .200 mark as he’s hiked his average from .164 to .210 during the first 10 games of the homestand by going 14-for-40 (.350) with seven stolen bases and nine RBIs.

“I’m just trying to re-establish my approach, use the whole field and really simplify everything,” Smith said. “I want to be a spark for the team.”

It was Smith’s two-run, bases-loaded single in the fifth that finally cracked the code on Astros starter Brad Peacock, who cruised through four innings with a 1-0 lead and then nearly escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam before Smith came through.

Leake on point again

Not to be overshadowed by the offensive eruption, Leake’s dominant outing reversed a troubling trend for the rotation. Seattle’s starters were 2-10 with a 7.66 ERA over the previous 15 games, but Leake has now put together back-to-back gems.

After holding the Angels to five hits and two runs in seven innings in a 4-3 win on Friday, the 31-year-old followed up with his first complete game since 2015 while equaling his career high with 119 pitches.

“That’s who I feel like I am,” Leake said. “If I can eat up innings and save the bullpen, that’s a good day. I know it’s a taxing year if you do that every time, but I still feel like I’m capable.”

The last Mariner to throw a complete game was Marco Gonzales on June 29 of last season.