re the roof is closed, the interruption will be longer to dry

HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel isnt quite ready to say hes on a roll.However last years AL Cy Young Award winner will acknowledge that hes starting to feel more like himself than he did during his struggles early this season.Luis Valbuena hit a solo homer and Colby Rasmus and rookie A.J. Reed added two-run shots in the fourth inning to back up a solid start by Keuchel and give the Houston Astros a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.It was definitely a good first start after the halfway mark and I know its a long season so there was no panic, there was nothing to be mad at except me making some bad pitches, Keuchel said. Id rather finish well than start well so its getting there.Keuchel (6-9) allowed five hits and two runs in six innings for his season-high third straight win after dropping eight of his previous nine decisions.The finish on his pitches was good, manager A.J. Hinch said. He was throwing his breaking ball where he wanted to. He got some big strikeouts. When you see him with the combination of getting the ball on the ground and also missing some bats that is pretty vintage Dallas Keuchel.Will Harris, who was named to his first All-Star team on Tuesday, pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.The Astros trailed by one in the fourth inning when Rasmus launched his homer off Taijuan Walker (4-7) to the bullpen in right-center field to make it 3-2. Valbuena drew a walk before, with two outs and two strikes, Reed hit his second career homer to left-center to extend it to 5-2.Walker yielded five hits and five runs before leaving after four innings with discomfort in his right foot. Its his third start that has been shortened because of this problem. He left early on June 14 and June 19 because of his foot.After the second inning, I had no legs. Everything was up, Walker said. Everything was running back to the plate. I just couldnt drive it in there. Its frustrating because I dont know what I can do to make it better yet.Nelson Cruz homered for the Mariners, who dropped their second straight to Houston.The three home runs Walker allowed tied a career-high and all were by left-handers. Hes been plagued by homers by lefties this season and 13 of the 18 homers he has allowed have been to them.Dae-Ho Lee singled with one out in the second before a double by Kyle Seager. The Mariners took a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout by Chris Iannetta.Valbuenas homer, which landed in the second deck in right field, came with two outs in the bottom of the inning to tie it at 1-all.Cruzs 22nd home run gave Seattle a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning.He was shaken up in the sixth inning when he fouled a ball off his left foot and leg. He limped around the plate for a couple of minutes while talking to Mariners manager Scott Servais and a trainer before staying in the game to finish his at-bat.HOT IN HEREThe air conditioning in Minute Maid Park was off for about three innings on Tuesday night because of a power outage outside of the building. It had been off for a bit when the teams official Twitter account announced the problem at about 9 p.m. with the temperature outside the ballpark a balmy 86 degrees. Many people could be seen fanning themselves with their hands or pieces of paper as the temperature in the domed ballpark began to rise. Another tweet came in the eighth inning saying the problem was fixed and the air conditioning was back on.Oh yeah, it was hot. But I didnt mind it, Rasmus said. I needed to get a good sweat in anyway.TRAINERS ROOMMariners: RHP Felix Hernandez will throw a simulated game Wednesday. Servais said Hernandez will throw 45 pitches. Hernandez has been on the DL with a strained right calf since June 1.UP NEXTMariners: Wade LeBlanc (1-0, 1.50) will make his third start of the season on Wednesday. LeBlanc allowed three hits and two runs in six innings of a 5-2 win over Baltimore in his last start.Astros: Mike Fiers (6-3, 4.12) is scheduled to start for Houston on Wednesday. Fiers has won three straight and has pitched 14 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings at home. Carson Wentz Womens Jersey . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. Seth Joyner Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. https://www.eaglessportsgoods.com/Womens-Shareef-Miller-Inverted-Jersey/ . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months. Mike Quick Womens Jersey . LOUIS -- St. Dallas Goedert Youth Jersey . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. NEW YORK -- Novak Djokovic wont mind if it rains for the next two weeks in New York.The U.S. Opens Arthur Ashe Stadium is now covered by a retractable roof. And based on his experiences at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, which already have one, the 12-time major champ expects more humid conditions once the panels slide shut -- which make for a slower court.It allows returners like myself to get into the rally rather than seeing missiles pass by from the serves, Djokovic said Friday.He added with a chuckle: I wouldnt complain, honestly, to play an indoor U.S. Open throughout the whole two weeks.The worlds top-ranked player insisted he wont wake up every morning praying for rain, and his stellar return game certainly doesnt need much help. Roger Federer, sidelined by a knee injury, also predicted this week that the roof will aid Djokovic. The Serb begins the defense of his U.S. Open title Monday night on Ashe, where hell likely play all his matches.The approximately $150 million project to construct a roof over Ashe features an air management system and sliding shutters that seal the stadium, designed to try to minimize the humidity Djokovic so enjoys.U.S. Tennis Association officials say tests have shown little difference in the conditions open or closed, but the proof will come once matches are first held under the roof.When that will be is for Mother Nature to determine. Wimbledon champ Andy Murray -- who has played in two Monday U.S. Open finals because of weather delays -- couldnt help but quip: Ill bet it doesnt rain this year.Indeed, the extended forecast as of Sunday showed little chance of rain for the tournaments first week, though of course that can quickly change.The U.S. Open has two meteorologists on site at all times who use proprietary software to track the likelihood of storms. Theyre located next door to the scheduling rooom for quick communication.ddddddddddddOn some occasions when inclement weather is possible, the shutters around the stadiums upper bowl will start to close and the air management system will be activated to be ready in case the roof needs to be shut. The tournament referee makes the final call.It takes about seven minutes for the roof to close, and if the court is dry, tournament director David Brewer said, the overall delay wont be much longer than that. The players wont leave the court during the process.If it starts raining before the roof is closed, the interruption will be longer to dry the court, though Brewer hopes to avoid that scenario as much as possible.Frankly because we have so many people there and because so many people have asked for a roof for so long, I think were going to be pre-emptive in our moves to stay ahead of the weather a little bit, he said.For the most part, if the roof closes during a match, it will remain shut until the end. It could then be reopened for a subsequent match.The roof will never be partially closed to provide shade, and it will be shut only for rain, not for extreme heat. The structure supporting the roof does already provide more shade than before.During the U.S. Opens first week, rain would still wreak havoc with the schedule because no other courts are covered. Additional matches could be moved onto Ashe if need be. Brewer would prefer not to shift an in-progress match from another stadium onto Ashe, but situations may arise when thats unavoidable.Even if it never rains, the roof is guaranteed to be closed at least once in the next two weeks. It will be shut at the start of Phil Collins opening ceremony concert Monday night, then slide open during the performance. ' ' '