Houston @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 17, 2016 ) Houston 8, Seattle 1

The Seattle Mariners seemingly frittered away their postseason chances by losing eight of nine to close out August, but they have surged back into contention on the heels of an eight-game winning streak. Seattle goes for its ninth win in a row against another wild card contender when the Houston Astros visit for the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.

"Guys are really confident, really happy and the energy is up," Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters after his team completed a 6-0 road trip with a 2-1 victory at the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. Seattle has not allowed more than three runs during its winning streak and sends ace Felix Hernandez to the mound in the series opener. The 2010 Cy Young Award winner could be facing a watered-down lineup after Jose Altuve, who is batting an American League-leading .341, and standout rookie Alex Bregman exited Wednesday's 8-4 victory over Texas. Houston ended play Wednesday 3 1/2 games out of the second wild card -- two games behind Seattle -- after halting a three-game skid.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Collin McHugh (10-10, 4.86 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernnndez (11-5, 3.58)

McHugh extended his unbeaten streak to five starts -- a span in which he is 3-0 -- by limiting the Chicago Cubs to one run and two hits over five innings in his last outing. A 19-game winner a year ago, McHugh has dominated the Mariners this season, winning all three starts while posting a sparkling 1.50 ERA. Nelson Cruz is 6-for-15 with two home runs and Robinson Cano is 10-for-30 with a pair of blasts versus McHugh.

Fernandez bounced back from a pair of rocky performances by tossing six scoreless innings of six-hit ball at Oakland in his last turn. Although Hernandez is 7-1 over his last 10 outings, he was rocked for six runs by Texas in back-to-back starts before shutting down the Athletics. Hernandez gets a break if he misses Altuve, who is 9-for-19 against him, but must be wary of Colby Rasmus, who is 7-for-10 versus the 30-year-old.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros manager A.J. Hinch said he is not optimistic about the availability of Altuve (oblique) and Bregman (hamstring) for Friday.

2. Mariners 3B Kyle Seager has gone deep four times in his last nine games and is one shy of his first 30-homer season.

3. Astros RF George Springer is tied with Hall of Famer Craig Biggio for the most leadoff homers in a single season in club history with eight.

PREDICTION: Mariners 3, Astros 2