Seattle @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 27, 2016 ) Seattle 4, Houston 8

The Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros have taken turns denting each other's postseason hopes, and one club will take another hit when the American League West rivals wrap up their three-game series in Houston on Wednesday afternoon. The teams split the first two games of the set as they try to run down either Baltimore or Detroit for the final AL wild-card spot.

The Astros recorded a much-needed 8-4 victory on Tuesday to pull with 2 1/2 games of Baltimore. The loss badly hurt the Mariners, who missed an opportunity to gain ground on the Orioles and sit two games out with six to play. Houston's George Springer recorded three hits and two RBIs in Tuesday's triumph and is 17-for-36 during his eight-game hitting streak. Seattle's Robinson Cano is 5-for-8 in the series and is 19-for-37 with six homers at Houston this season.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT (Seattle, Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH James Paxton (5-7, 3.72 ERA) vs. Astros RH Doug Fister (12-12, 4.42)

Paxton ended a five-start winless streak by allowing one run and five hits while striking out nine over seven innings against Minnesota in his last turn. He has a 2.25 ERA while giving up just 14 hits in 20 frames over his last three turns but is just 1-1 during the stretch. Paxton is 0-2 with a 4.74 ERA in three career starts against Houston, including a loss on Sept. 17 in which he yielded two runs and four hits over seven innings.

Fister is 0-4 with a 9.35 ERA over his last six outings, surrendering six or more earned runs in three of the starts. The 32-year-old failed to last longer than five innings in any of the six outings and has worked 4 1/3 or fewer frames in five of his last eight turns. Fister was pounded for seven runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings by the Mariners on Sept. 18 to fall to 4-2 with a 4.64 ERA in seven career starts against his former club.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros 2B Jose Altuve, who has gone 4-for-8 in the series to raise his AL-best batting average to .339, is 3-for-7 with two walks against Paxton.

2. Seattle DH Nelson Cruz has posted five straight multi-hit performances and is 10-for-22 with four homers and 10 RBIs during the stretch.

3. Houston 3B Alex Bregman (hamstring) delivered a game-tying pinch-hit single on Tuesday in his first at-bat since Sept. 14.

PREDICTION: Mariners 7, Astros 5