Seattle @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 31, 2013 ) Seattle 3, Houston 1

The Seattle Mariners look to conclude a four-game sweep of the worst team in the majors when they visit the Houston Astros on Sunday. Seattle has used strong pitching to outscore Houston 13-4 while winning the first three games and has captured 10 of this season’s 15 meetings. Houston has lost five consecutive contests and is just nine defeats away from its third straight 100-loss campaign.

The Astros were a woeful 8-21 in August and have just 44 victories with 27 games to play. Houston has scored only eight runs during its latest skid, and the Seattle bullpen has allowed only four hits while hurling 11 scoreless innings in the series. The Mariners are 3-6 since manager Eric Wedge returned to the dugout following a stroke that sidelined him for a month.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), CSN (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (12-6, 3.03 ERA) vs. Astros LH Brett Oberholtzer (3-1, 3.43)

Iwakuma is 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA in three starts against Houston this season, striking out 26 in just 19 innings. He fanned a career-best 11 in five innings while losing to the Astros in April. Iwakuma has won his last two decisions and received a no-decision in his most-recent outing against Texas after giving up three runs and seven hits in six frames.

Oberholtzer has fared well over his five major-league starts and worked six or more innings in each of the first four. He had his worst outing in his last turn, when he gave up five runs (four earned) and eight hits in 5 1/3 frames of a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox. Oberholtzer has struck out 25 and walked just six in 39 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Mariners OF Raul Ibanez has just one homer and four RBIs since the All-Star break after going deep 24 times and driving in 56 runs prior to it.

2. Astros All-Star C Jason Castro is 0-for-5 with four strikeouts over the last two games.

3. Seattle 1B Justin Smoak is in a 2-for-33 rut and didn’t start Saturday’s contest.

PREDICTION: Mariners 3, Astros 0