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Mariners Continue Pursuit of Astros

Seattle Three Games Back of Second Wild Card

· Sep 07 - 4 minutes read

The Seattle Mariners try to bounce back from a rout when they take on the Houston Astros in the second of a key three-game series between the top two teams in the American League West on Tuesday night. The first pitch of this contest is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

The Mariners had a five-game winning streak snapped with Monday’s loss in the series opener. Seattle is 75-63 and in second place in the AL West, trailing the first-place Astros by 5½ games and leading the third-place Oakland Athletics by a half-game. The Mariners are three games behind the Boston Red Sox for the second Wild Card spot in the American League.

Justus Sheffield of the Seattle Mariners pitches in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros — Bob Levey/Getty Images/AFP

Houston snapped a two-game losing streak with Monday’s win, improving to 80-57. The Astros have the second-best record in the American League, trailing the Tampa Bay Rays by 6½ games and leading the Chicago White Sox by a game.

The MLB lines for this contest have the Astros with a moneyline of -165, while the Mariners are listed at +145, with the over/under set at 8½ runs when you bet online.

Difficult Start

The Mariners were hoping some of their momentum from five straight victories would carry over into Monday’s game, but they gave up six runs in the second inning and managed just five hits. That was compounded by two errors in the field.

Right-hander Logan Gilbert will try to turn things around on Tuesday. The 24-year-old rookie is 5-5 with a 5.14 ERA and has had mixed results in his two previous starts against Houston.

His last start was against the Houston Astros on Wednesday, as he threw five shutout innings, allowing just four hits but taking a no-decision in a 1-0 Seattle win. His previous meeting with Houston on Aug. 21 wasn’t so good. He lasted 4.2 innings, allowing nine runs on eight hits, including two home runs, in dropping his third straight decision.

Third baseman Kyle Seager had been hot coming into this series with a double, two home runs and eight RBIs over the previous two games, but he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout on Monday night. He’s batting .212 with 14 hits and 14 strikeouts in 66 at-bats against Houston this season.

Breaking Out

The Astros were determined to have a different result from the last two games of last week’s series with Seattle, in which they were shut out in each contest. Rookie outfielder Jake Meyers led the charge with a home run and four RBIs on Monday as Houston looked like the team that has been leading the AL West for much of the season.

“This is the kind of game we’re looking for to create some momentum and build some confidence and start a winning streak,” Astros star Jose Altuve said after Monday’s win.

Altuve added two hits, two walks, an RBI and a run scored in the game, with eight of the nine starters recording at least one hit. Outfielder Kyle Tucker continued to play well, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored.

Right-hander Jake Odorizzi will get the starting nod. Odorizzi is 6-7 with a 4.32 ERA, including a 2-2 mark with a 3.98 ERA in four starts against the Mariners.

Odorizzi took the loss on Wednesday against the Mariners, going five innings and allowing one run on two hits in a 2-1 Seattle win. He also faced the Mariners on Aug. 21, getting a win after going 5.2 innings and allowing one run on four hits, including a home run.

Astros Win Again

This contest could be very low-scoring if Gilbert and Odorizzi pitch as they did in their last matchup. Still, Houston’s offense got a jolt on Monday night, and it should continue to hit well in this one as well.

When making your MLB picks, take Houston to win at home.