SEATTLE -- Felix Hernandez wore an extra ice pack. Richaun Holmes Jersey . Theyre usually only wrapped around his shoulder, not his calf as well. Despite getting a little physically beat up, Hernandez had no problem shutting down Houston. Seattles ace struck out nine over eight strong innings for his third straight victory, Willie Bloomquist provided a jolt of offence with his first home run since 2011 and the Mariners beat the Astros 6-1 on Friday night. "A little bruise. Im fine," Hernandez said. "He got me, he got me pretty good." An extra bruise on Hernandezs left calf was the only downside to Seattles fourth win in five games that has the Mariners back above the .500 mark. Hernandez (6-1) allowed only five hits and continued a strong last two weeks on the mound. After going more than a month between victories, Hernandez has rediscovered his form. He has struck out 21 and walked just two over his last three starts. Four of his nine strikeouts against the Astros were looking, a sign that he had command off his fastball. "Everything was working," Hernandez said. "I was throwing a lot of strikes. The game plan was just to throw strikes and use a lot of fastballs." Bloomquist drove in three runs, but the highlight was his two-run homer just inside the left-field foul pole in the sixth. It was his first long ball since Aug. 10, 2011, when Bloomquist was playing for Arizona, a span of 626 at-bats. Bloomquists homer came on the first pitch after Mike Zunino had doubled off the top of the wall, missing a homer by inches. Bloomquist rounded the bases with a wry smile on his face and appeared to be catching plenty of grief in the dugout for the long lapse between homers. His last homer also came against Houston -- when the Astros were still a National League team -- and led off the bottom of the first inning. "Dont even go there," Bloomquist laughed when asked about his last homer. "I dont want to remember, lets put it that way. Had a lot of ground-rule doubles in the meantime. I know its been a while. Thats not my swing, but Ill take them when they come if they ever come." Kyle Seager also drove in three runs with a two-run single in the first and a broken-bat blooper in the seventh. Robinson Cano also had two hits, raising his batting average to .326. The only batter to cause Hernandez fits was Jose Altuve, who improved to 8-for-16 all-time against Seattles ace. Altuve had an RBI single in the third, doubled in the fifth and lined a single off Hernandezs calf in the eighth. Hernandez stayed in and started an inning-ending double play from Dexter Fowler for his final batter. It was the second straight start Hernandez pitched eight innings. "Felix was pretty darn good tonight in a lot of different ways," Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. "Certainly with his pitch count he was very efficient and he fielded the ball with his glove and his leg." Houstons Rudy Owens made his major league debut after getting called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City on short notice. The Astros decided to skip Brad Peacocks scheduled start after he experienced soreness in his forearm. Owens struggled through the first inning then settled down. He kept Houston within 3-1 heading into the sixth despite allowing a baserunner in every inning. The game got away from Owens (0-1) in just a couple of pitches. After giving up the double to Zunino, Owens watched Bloomquist hit the first pitch out. Owens was optioned back to Oklahoma City after the game. "We just couldnt muster anything offensively against Felix and that pretty much was the difference in the ballgame," Houston manager Bo Porter said. NOTES: Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker (shoulder) threw a three-inning simulated game Friday and said he feels ready to go out on a rehab assignment. Walker has not pitched in a game this season. ... Houston OF George Springer was held out of the lineup for second straight day after injuring his hip on Wednesday. ... James Jones extended his hitting streak to 13 games with an infield single in the fourth. Nik Stauskas Jersey .com) - The Toronto Blue Jays will look to snap a three-game skid Friday night when they continue their road trip in the opener of a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Wilt Chamberlain Jersey .com) - Carmelo Anthony tallied 31 points to help the New York Knicks continue their improved play of late with a 100-92 victory over a short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder squad. http://www.76ersprostore.com/Cheap-Timothe-Luwawu-76ers-Jersey/ . - This win was more the New Jersey Devils style.WINDSOR JUNCTION, N.S. - In many ways, the Nova Scotia Open is just another Web.Com Tour event, another chance to move up the money list and get closer to a PGA Tour card for next year. But for the 20 Canadians in the field, it is a rare home game with some tangible benefits. "Its great," said Roger Sloan, who plays out of the Tobiano Golf Club in Kamloops, B.C. "I stopped at Tim Hortons before my round." Perhaps it was the power of that morning double-double that pushed Sloan to a score of four-under 67, the lowest among the Canadians who teed off in the morning wave. "I got off to a really good start," said Sloan. "Birdied my first hole and had a couple of really good birdie opportunities in my first few holes. It was just a solid ball-striking day." Sloan had it to four under through his first nine with birdies on the third, fifth and ninth holes. He pushed that to five under with another one at the 12th before giving that back at the 17th. The New Course at Ashburn isnt long by Web.Com Tour standards but the greens here are providing a suitable defence. The putting surfaces have strong (a polite word) slopes that make getting the ball close on approaches tough and the putting even more difficult. "The greens are tricky," Sloan stated, "so you really have to be in control of the ball to get it close." By the time 36 holes are in the bag, "tricky" might be a nice description for how the players view these greens. They will most certainly be the deciding factor in who wins. Sloan, of course, is hoping that will be him. Hes in his second season on the Triple-A circuit and has been playing some more consistent golf this season, making the cut in seven of 12 starts. However, hes only missed once in his last seven events, showing steady improvement. A year ago, he was anything but consistent, making just five cuts in 19 starts. However there was a slight off-course distraction as he got married. This year, however, his goal was to avoid the highs and lows, and even out his play. "Ive been playing solid all year,&quoot; he stated, "putting together some solid rounds of golf. Darryl Dawkins Jersey. Thats what I really wanted to do this year. You never know when those really good rounds are going to come. You just have to keep plugging away and stay focused on one shot at a time." Talking to Sloan its easy to see hes mature and keeps a good perspective on life, something that isnt always found in younger players. He sees the world beyond golf and is obviously well-grounded. He is in the middle of a seven-week run of tournaments but doesnt seem frustrated or burned out or home-sick, despite the fact his wife rarely is able to join him on Tour. He understands his job and the career hes chosen. He prepared himself for this lengthy road trip and is focused on his game. "Theres no job security out here as you might have on the PGA Tour where I can take next week off," Sloan stated. "You have a lot of guys playing really well, lot of great players, too. Theres pressure to play well but at the same time, if youre out here, you have the ability so trust yourself." Unlike a number of the other Canadians such as Adam Hadwin or MacKenzie Hughes, Sloan is playing without much in the way of outside financial backing. He has no major sponsors and wasnt a beneficiary of Golf Canadas Young Pro program when it was announced earlier this year. In fact, hes never really been on the Golf Canada radar, when he was an amateur or now. Its somewhat hard to believe -- actually its shocking -- that with his talent and personality, a company wouldnt embrace him and get behind him. Still, the ever-optimistic Sloan doesnt see that as a problem, but rather a fact that will change only by his doing. "Ive been blessed to play this game professionally on my own accord," he stated. "Its taught me a lot of good values. Its been tough, Ive had to make a lot of sacrifices, my wife and I, in order to make that work. 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