SEATTLE -- Felix Hernandez wore an extra ice pack. 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. Cheap College Jerseys 2020 . That little deal worked out in a big way for the Mavericks. Nowitzki had 21 points Tuesday night to pass Oscar Robertson for 10th on the NBAs career scoring list, leading the Mavs to a 95-83 victory over the Utah Jazz. College Jerseys Outlet . The South Africa international, who rejoined the club last month on loan from Tottenham, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a powerful shot into the roof of the net. https://www.ncaajerseys2020.com/.Y. -- AJ Allmendingers journey is almost complete. Fake NCAA Jerseys . -- Former NHL star Jeremy Roenick shot a second-round 69 to take the lead after 36 holes and former LPGA great Annika Sorenstam and Chad Pfeifer, who lost his left leg above the knee serving in Iraq, are among several players in contention in the American Century Championship tournament on Saturday. NCAA Jerseys From China . Starting from pole, the 26-year-old Vettel turned in a trademark clinical performance to win the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday and join F1 greats Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as just the third driver to win four consecutive championships.ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins free safety Brandon Meriweathers dangerous habit of leading with his helmet will cost him two games, the latest sanction from a league determined to make the game safer by discouraging blows to the head. The NFL announced Monday that Meriweather will be suspended for this weeks game against the Denver Broncos and the following game against the San Diego Chargers, a severe blow to a struggling defence as the Redskins try to recover from their poor start to the season. Meriweather has the right to appeal. If he does, an expedited hearing will be held this week and a ruling issued before the Broncos game. He was flagged twice for hits on defenceless receivers in Sundays 45-41 win over the Chicago Bears, in the third quarter for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Alshon Jeffery in the fourth quarter for a helmet-first hit to the head and neck area of Brandon Marshall. In announcing the suspension, the league cited Meriweathers status as a repeat offender. He was fined $42,000 for a helmet-first hit on Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy in Week 2, forcing Lacy out of the game with a concussion. Later in that same game, another helmet-first hit left Meriweather with a concussion, knocking him out of the game. The two-game suspension will cost Meriweather $141,176 in salary. He will not be allowed to participate in any football activities with the team during the suspension. Meriweather said after Sundays game that he thought both hits against the Bears were legal. He said hes tried to change his game to suit the NFLs tackling rules. "I wasnt trying to be dirty. I wasnt trying to hurt nobody," he said. "I didnnt lead with my, didnt launch with my head.dddddddddddd I used my shoulder like they told me to do." Coach Mike Shanahan said earlier Monday that he didnt think Meriweather would be suspended. "I think he knows exactly what he has to do," Shanahan said. "And sometimes the intent -- theres no intent there -- sometimes you hit a guy a little bit higher than anticipated. Even the last one, he came to the sideline and says, Hey, one guy told me it was a good hit and the other official told me he saw it differently. So theres a lot of different interpretations of it, and at the end of the day well find out." The suspension could leave the Redskins without their two starting safeties when they face Peyton Manning and the Broncos. Strong safety Reed Doughty suffered a concussion Sunday when the Bears attempted an onside kick in the fourth quarter. He will have to pass the leagues required tests before he can be cleared to play next week at Denver. The Redskins are already thin at safety. Rookie Phillip Thomas was lost for the season with an injury during training camp, and rookie Bacarri Rambo lost his starting job after struggling in the first two games. The only other safeties on the roster are Jose Gumbs, who has played in two NFL games, and Trenton Robinson, who was signed last week. Washington is ranked 24th in the NFL against the pass and gave up 24 second-half points Sunday against a backup quarterback. Shanahan was asked how he would manage if he doesnt have Meriweather and Doughty. "Not a whole lot you can do about it," Shanahan said, "except prepare the best way you can." ' ' '