Cole’s 10th-inning RBI single lifts the Astros past the Mariners, 4-3

HOUSTON (AP) — Christian Walker homered and Zach Cole hit an RBI single in the 10th inning that lifted the Houston Astros to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.

Brice Matthews started the 10th as the automatic runner on second base and moved to third on a wild pitch by Alex Hoppe (0-1). Cole, who tied a career high with three hits, singled on a grounder to right field to send Matthews home.

Bryan Abreu (2-2) walked one in a scoreless 10th.

Jose Altuve added two RBIs to help the Astros snap a four-game skid overall and end a nine-game losing streak against the Mariners.

Houston loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth and took the lead on Altuve's one-out sacrifice fly. Altuve became the fifth Astros player with 900 RBIs.

Julio Rodríguez's bases-loaded walk against Bryan King tied it at 3-3 with two outs in the ninth.

J.P. Crawford and Luke Raley hit solo home runs for the Mariners.

Seattle’s Bryce Miller allowed two runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings in his season debut after recovering from a strained left oblique.

Houston starter Lance McCullers also went 5 1/3 innings, permitting two runs and seven hits.

Crawford hit a leadoff homer, and Raley’s home run with one out in the sixth chased McCullers and made it 2-0.

Walker opened the bottom of the inning with his shot to the front row in right field to get the Astros within 1.

There was a delay of about 12 minutes with one out in the inning when home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz left the game after Braden Shewmake fouled a ball off his mask. First base umpire Alex MacKay moved from first base to behind the plate after Ortiz left and he got his gear on.

Altuve’s bases-loaded walk with two outs in the inning tied it, but Yordan Alvarez grounded out to end the inning.

Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (0-4, 6.57 ERA) looks for his first win in the series finale Thursday with RHP Mike Burrows (2-4, 5.04) starting for Houston.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Seattle Mariners' J.P. Crawford (3) celebrates with Josh Naylor (12) after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Seattle Mariners' Luke Raley (20) celebrates with J.P. Crawford (3) after hitting a home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Umpire Roberto Ortiz, center, is checked out for injury before leaving the game during the sixth inning of a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros in Houston, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros' Christian Walker (8) celebrates with Zach Dezenzo after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners in Houston, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Astros' Brice Matthews (0) celebrates with Yordan Alvarez after scoring during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners in Houston, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

DENVER (AP) — Brett Kulak scored 3:52 into overtime after Nathan MacKinnon tied it late in regulation and the Colorado Avalanche advanced to the Western Conference final with a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Kulak capped a wild comeback for the Avalanche, who trailed 3-0 midway through the second period. Colorado moves on to the conference final for an eighth time since relocating to Denver in 1995-96.

The Avalanche will face the Vegas-Anaheim winner. Vegas leads that series 3-2.

With Minnesota up 3-1, Jack Drury scored with 3:33 remaining to set the stage for MacKinnon's goal with 1:23 left with the Colorado goal empty. The star forward sent a shot from the left side past Jesper Wallstedt and into a small space in the top left corner.

In overtime, Martin Necas took the puck, glided behind the net and back out front, where he found an open Kulak. Without missing a stride, he lined it past Wallstedt.

Kulak joined the Avalanche on Feb. 24 as part of a deal that Samuel Girard to Pittsburgh. Kulak was the 16th Avalanche player to score in the series.

“You always like to dream about it,” Kulak said. “The player I am, I'm not the guy (they're) looking down the bench, hollering, ‘Get out there, go win it for us.’”

It was a rare series-ending win at home for Colorado, too. The last time the Avalanche won a series on home ice was 2008 against the Wild, when the team had Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.

“That was fun,” MacKinnon said. “A lot of fun.”

Marcus Johansson scored 34 seconds into the game and Nick Foligno added two goals to give the Wild a 3-0 after the first period. It led Colorado to take out Mackenzie Blackwood after the first and insert Scott Wedgewood, who made seven saves.

The Avalanche overcame a three-goal deficit to win a playoff game for just the third time in 53 tries since moving to Denver. The Wild had been 21-0 when leading a playoff game by at least three goals before the elimination loss.

Wallstedt stopped 30 shots for the Wild. Matt Boldy and Nico Sturm each had two assists for a banged-up Wild team that was missing center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin all series.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Colorado Avalanche center Jack Drury, center, is congratulated by, from left, center Nicolas Roy, right wing Valeri Nichushkin, and defensemen Devon Toews and Brent Burns in the third period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, left, allows a goal by Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon as left wing Gabriel Landeskog looks on in the third period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt reacts after allowing the winning goal on a shot by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak in overtime of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, center, misses a goal shot by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak as Minnesota right wing Mats Zuccarello, left, and defenseman Jared Spurgeon cover in overtime of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton, left, checks Colorado Avalanche left wing Joel Kiviranta in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Ross Colton, front, puts a shot on Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy, right, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Ahcan covers in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, top front, pins Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman as Colorado goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood looks on in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov, center, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Ahcan covers in the second period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)