HOUSTON -- A big night by Franklin Gutierrez had Seattle manager Eric Wedge wondering what might have been. Tim Beckham Jersey . "Its hard not to imagine how much better wed be as a ballclub if we had him all year or for the last three years for that matter," Wedge said. Gutierrez hit a two-run homer after Nick Franklin gave Seattle an early lead with a solo shot and the Mariners held on for a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday night, stopping a six-game slide. Gutierrez had three of Seattles six hits in his third game back from the disabled list. He has played just 20 games this season because of hamstring issues, and missed more than 50 games in each of the previous two seasons with a variety of injuries. "Im just happy to be here," he said. "I just came to try to help my team. Ive been missing a lot of games due to injuries. It feels good to come back, see the ball better, swing and help my team today." Franklin put the Mariners on top with his one-out homer off Jordan Lyles (6-7) in the first inning. Raul Ibanez reached on a leadoff single in the fourth and Gutierrez connected with one out, hitting a drive to left to push Seattles lead to 3-0. He has seven homers in just 73 at-bats this season. "Ive been working on my strength to use a little bit more of my legs," he said. "When you use your legs you can hit the ball better and with power. So as soon as you put a good swing on the ball anything can happen." It was Seattles first win since Wedge returned to the team on Friday after missing about a month following a mild stroke. "Its been about a month and a half," Wedge said of being part of a win. "I (said) when I was walking on the field that its been about a month and a half since I shook hands on the field for multiple reasons. It felt good to get out there and shake hands." Seattle starter Erasmo Ramirez (5-1) tied a season high with seven strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings. He allowed two runs and five hits. Yoervis Medina struck out three in 1 1-3 perfect innings before Danny Farquhar threw a scoreless ninth for his 10th save. Jason Castro had an RBI double in the fourth and Brett Wallace homered in the fifth, but that was it for Houston, which has dropped three in a row. Lyles allowed four hits and three runs in six innings. Ramirez sailed through the first three innings, including striking out the side in the third. L.J. Hoes got Houstons first hit with a single to start the fourth before Castros one-out double sent him home. Wallace opened Houstons fifth with a drive to right-centre that cut Seattles lead to 3-2. Ramirez shaken up a bit with two outs in that inning when he took a comebacker to his foot on a single by Robbie Grossman. He was checked out by trainers and threw a few warmup pitches before retiring Hoes to end the inning. Jose Altuve doubled with no outs in the sixth inning and Ramirez left after he issued a walk to Chris Carter. Charlie Furbush then retired Wallace to end the inning. "We had a few opportunities to get some runs there," Wallace said. "In those situations, you have to do everything you can to try to get the guys in. They made some good pitches when they had to. A couple opportunities that we left out there and those are the ones that you cant give away." Lyles retired eight of the last nine batters he faced after the homer by Gutierrez, with the only baserunner coming when Justin Smoak reached on an error by right fielder Hoes with two outs in the sixth. Medina threw a perfect eighth inning, including striking out the last two batters. He ended the inning when he caught Castro looking with an 85 mph curveball. Castro threw his bat in disgust after the call. Lyles last started on Friday, but got the last out of Houstons win over the Chicago White Sox on Monday for his first career save. Kevin Chapman followed Lyles with 2 1-3 scoreless innings. He hasnt allowed an earned run in his first 12 major league appearances, which ties a franchise record. Grossman robbed Dustin Ackley of a hit with a nifty leaping catch to end the fourth inning. The left fielder was running and jumped high in the air to snag the hard-hit fly ball. NOTES: The series continues Friday when Seattles top prospect, Taijuan Walker, makes his major league debut against Brad Peacock. The 21-year-old Walker went 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his last two starts in Triple-A. ... Houston manager Bo Porter said catchers Carlos Corporan and Max Stassi, both on the seven-day concussion list, are making progress. Austin Nola Mariners Jersey . -- Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford made it through a third straight practice without any setbacks and expects to play in Oaklands regular-season finale against San Diego. Pat Borders Mariners Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. https://www.cheapmariners.com/ . Appearing on TSN 690 Monday afternoon, Mike Babcock said he had conversations with both P.K. Subban and Carey Price about those on-ice traits during Hockey Canadas summer orientation camp. Mike Babcock: McGill experience, P.HONOLULU, Hawaii - The sun is shining and spirits are soaring at the Sony Open, the first full-field event of the year on the PGA Tour that seems to bring equal measures of optimism no matter how long a player has been around.And its quite the age range at Waialae, from 16-year-old Kyle Suppa to 58-year-old Fred Funk, one of four Champions Tour players at the Sony Open.Everybody is in a pretty good mood this week, said David Clark, the caddie for Paul Casey, as he watched a threesome wrap up a practice round. At least until Thursday.For Charles Howell III, he has reason for high hopes along the surf and royal palms.He has never missed this event since 2002, and he has done just about everything but win. Howell has eight top 10s, including a pair of runner-up finishes. He has never shot worse than 73, and 41 of his 48 rounds at the Sony Open have been at par or better.Howell started laughing as he listened to his record. About the only thing missing from his record is a trophy, the winners lei draped around his neck and the champagne toast to the Waialae members.Its weird, he said. I think coming off of an off-season, Hawaii is an easy place to come to. Weve always enjoyed coming here, even in the days of college when we would come to play college events this time of the year. Guys are excited to play. As far as my results, its hard to say. I wish I knew what it was or Id try it at some other event. For some reason, I like this course. Its an old-style course, not a modern design by any means, and I like that aspect of it.Indeed, the Sony Open can feel trapped in the 1980s, and it goes back even further. This is the 50th anniversary of the PGA Tour coming to Waialae, a course that yields low scores without seeming very easy.But there is a modern aspect of this event that Howell or anyone else cannot ignore.The PGA Tour is getting younger.Howell is coming off a Christmas break with his two children, 4-year-old Ansley and 3-year-old Chase, so maybe he just feels old. He is starting his 15th year on the PGA Tour and has reason to look behind at the newcomers than att the players he spent a decade chasing. Erik Swanson Jersey. Patrick Reed won the Hyundai Tournament of Champions last week for his fourth PGA Tour victory at age 24, joining only Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy as players who have won that often before turning 25.Jordan Spieth is 21 and already has three wins worldwide, though none that got him to Kapalua. So he elected to wait until Phoenix to make his 2015 debut. Russell Henley won the Sony Open two years ago in his debut as a PGA Tour member.I dont know if theres a way to measure it, said Justin Leonard, who is starting his 22nd year on the PGA Tour, but guys who come out in their early and mid-20s, theyre ready to play and win. They dont care who theyre playing against, whether its Matt Kuchar or me or anyone else. It doesnt matter, because theyve seen guys like Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler come out and play so well early that its inspired them.Howell wonders how much if it is the Tiger Woods effect.Much like Spieth a generation ago, Howell earned his PGA Tour when he started the season with no status. That was in 2001, the year Woods completed a sweep of the majors and was on a 15-year roll the likes of which had never been seen on the PGA Tour.Howell jokingly said last year that Woods ruined a lot of guys lives and caused sleepless nights, but that he also motivated a generation behind him.Tiger was the reason that working out become popular, Howell said. These (younger) guys, its like they used him as a benchmark. When I came out, Tiger had this massive intimidation factor. Now its like Tiger is the one who pushed them along and trained them. The dynamic is weird, but probably a guy my age would be more intimidated by Tiger than a guy who is just now coming out.Players coming out now are better, he said. They seem more comfortable. I dont know if thats because of how much golf is publicized, how much its on TV to where they know what to expect.Coming off a short winters nap and playing golf on a tropical island, expectations are higher now than they will be all year. ' ' '