(Photo credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images)

Luke Raley and Mitch Garver hit home runs as the Seattle Mariners defeated the host Houston Astros 8-3 Thursday afternoon, taking three of four games in the series between the American League West rivals.

Brendan Donovan went 3-for-5 with a double and triple for the Mariners, and Luis Castillo earned his first victory of the season.

Castillo (1-4) allowed three runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander walked three and struck out six.

Yordan Alvarez went 3-for-3 with a double and a homer for the Astros.

Astros starter Mike Burrows (2-5) also went 5 2/3 innings but gave up seven runs on eight hits. The righty walked three and fanned four.

The Mariners took the lead in the first inning as Donovan led off with a double and Randy Arozarena drew a two-out walk. Raley followed with a three-run shot to left-center field.

Alvarez homered to center with two outs in the third to pull the Astros within 3-1.

The Mariners responded in the fourth as J.P. Crawford grounded a one-out single to right and, an out later, Garver went deep to left. Garver was getting the start as Cal Raleigh, who led the majors with 60 homers last season, was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain.

Seattle increased its lead to 7-1 in the sixth as Dominic Canzone lined a two-out single to center, Garver walked and Cole Young hit a two-run double to right.

The Astros answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Alvarez lined a one-out single to right and Christian Walker drew a two-out walk. Braden Shewmake doubled to left to plate both runners.

Raley led off the eighth by grounding a single to center and scored on Crawford's double to left-center to make it 8-3.

--Field Level Media