Houston @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 11, 2013 ) Houston 6, Seattle 1

Two teams looking to end lengthy losing streaks meet on Monday, when the Seattle Mariners host the Houston Astros in the opener of their three-game series. The Astros have lost seven straight, averaging two runs in those games, while the Mariners have dropped six in a row and eight of their last nine. Seattle has struggled to protect leads during its skid, giving up three runs in the last two innings of a 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday and two in the bottom of the eighth of Sunday’s 3-2 setback against the Miami Marlins.

Seattle's Robinson Cano produced his fourth extra-base hit of the season in Sunday’s loss and just his second since April 6, leaving him stuck on one home run. Cano, who left the New York Yankees to sign a 10-year, $240 million contract with the Mariners in December, had five home runs through April 20 a year ago. Marwin Gonzalez is pushing for more playing time for the Astros after making his second start of the season at third base on Sunday and clubbing his first home run in the 4-1 loss.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, CSN (Houston), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (1-1, 3.50 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (3-0, 1.91)

Keuchel has pitched better than his record indicates and could be considered the staff ace at this point. He left with a 4-2 lead after six innings in his last start Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals, but the bullpen was unable to hold the lead and the Astros eventually lost in 11 innings. He was similarly snake-bitten in his two starts against the Mariners last season, allowing four earned runs in 13 combined innings but taking the loss in both games as Houston supported him with just three total runs.

Hernandez is trying to win his first four decisions for the first time since 2009, when he went on to win a career-best 19 games. He has gone at least six innings and allowed two earned runs or fewer in all four of his starts this season, with those efforts coming against the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Rangers - three of the top five run-scoring teams in the American League coming into Sunday. He went six innings twice against the Astros last season and didn’t allow a run either time.

WALK-OFFS

1. Hernandez has made 29 career starts in which he didn't receive the win despite pitching seven or more innings and allowing fewer than two earned runs.

2. The Mariners have been outscored 16-0 in the eighth inning this season.

3. Mariners OF Abraham Almonte saw a total of 16 pitches while going 0-for-8 in the leadoff spot over the last two games.

PREDICTION: Mariners 2, Astros 1