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The Seattle Mariners continue their series with the Houston Astros in the Lone Star state of Texas on Tuesday. The pair of American League West foes will look to improve upon their performance in April.
The Mariners are finally clicking as they've ascended to second in the West. Meanwhile, the reigning American League champions Houston Astros are toiling in third place with a losing record and are hoping to set things right.
Seattle will send right-hander Chris Flexen to the hill at Minute Maid Park, while Houston will counter with 25-year-old Christian Javier.
The Astros return home after losing a series to the Toronto Blue Jays despite having a net 0 run differential from the series. The Mariners, on the other hand, are coming off two straight series losses at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins. They might simply be grateful to not have to play in Florida anytime soon.
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Match Details
Fixture: Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros | Regular Season.
Date & Time: Tuesday, May 3, 8:10 p.m EDT.
Venue: Minute Maid Park- Houston, Texas.
Seattle Mariners Preview
The Seattle Mariners enter the matchup having lost two consecutive series and are hoping to turn their fortunes around before they spiral into a losing record. Fortunately, the team has done well playing against its division as the Mariners are 4-2 against the American League West, outscoring their opponents 34 to 19.
The team has struggled to maintain consistency in any facet of their game. However, youngsters like Logan Gilbert have given fans a semblance of hope for the future and confidence for now that the team will be competitive.
Key Player - JP Crawford
The gold-glove shortstop looks to be on his way to his first All-Star Game selection. The 2022 campaign has seen JP Crawford maintain his stellar level of defense while strengthening his ability to hit for average. He is currently sporting a .360 batting average to go along with a slugging percentage of .573.
Crawford has emerged as the best player on the roster and will hope to lead the club to victory at Minute Maid Park.
Seattle Mariners Predicted Lineup
Starting Pitcher: Chris Flexen
- Adam Frazier, 2B
- Ty France, 1B
- J.P. Crawford, SS
- Jesse Winker, LF
- Mitch Haniger, RF
- Eugenio Suarez, 3B
- Jarred Kelenic, DH
- Julio Rodriguez, CF
- Tom Murphy, C
Houston Astros Preview
Since defeating the LA Angels on Opening weekend, the Houston Astros have only won a single series: against the last-placed Texas Rangers. The team has struggled with its pitching, surrendering five runs or more in over 35% of their games this season.
Manager Dusty Baker is struggling to find answers outside of ace Justin Verlander and young stud Framber Valdez with respect to stifling opposing offenses.
Key Player - Yordan Alvarez
Yordan Alvarez enters the contest against the Seattle Mariners with a .581 slugging percentage and leads the team in homers. In addition to this, Alvarez is also batting .400 against opposing pitcher Chris Flexen with one home run and four runs batted in.
If anyone can ignite the Houston offense in this divisional matchup, it's the 24-year-old Cuban Designated Hitter.
Alvarez is becoming a lethal power threat on this roster, allowing the Houston Astros offense to keep pace with the other frontrunners in the American League offensively.
Houston Astros Predicted lineup
Starting pitcher: Christian Javier
- Jose Altuve, 2B
- Michael Brantley, DH
- Alex Bregman, 3B
- Yuli Gurriel, 1B
- Kyle Tucker, RF
- Jose Siri, CF
- Chas McCormick, LF
- Jeremy Pena, SS
- Jason Castro, C
Mariners vs Astros prediction
This will be a close matchup between the two foes. Flexen will keep it close and keep the Astros at bay, as their offense is too powerful to completely shut down. In that time, the Mariners will be able to scratch out a couple of runs and rely on their bullpen to give them a one-run victory.
Where to watch Mariners vs Astros
The game can be found on ATT SportsNet-SW in the Houston region and on ROOTNW in the Washington region. Outside of these markets, the game will be available on the MLB Network at 4:10 p.m EDT on Sunday, April 17.
