Houston @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 9, 2014 ) Houston 2, Seattle 1

The Seattle Mariners have fallen out of the American League’s second wild card and look to regain it when they host the Houston Astros on Wednesday. Seattle lost 2-1 to the Astros on Tuesday and finds itself a half-game back of Detroit and Kansas City – the AL Central co-leaders – after losing for only the second time in eight games. Houston is playing solid baseball with seven wins in nine games, as Jonathan Villar’s RBI single in the ninth was the difference Tuesday.

Mariners left fielder Dustin Ackley has missed three consecutive games and will probably be sidelined the rest of the week after an MRI exam displayed he has bone spurs in his tender left ankle. “He’s going to be out a couple days,” Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon told reporters. “The spurs have flared up a little bit, but he should be OK.” Astros second baseman Jose Altuve leads the majors with a .336 batting average but is 0-for-7 in the series.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Nick Tropeano (NR) vs. Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (14-6, 2.97)

Tropeano is making his major-league debut after going 9-5 with a 3.03 ERA at Triple-A Oklahoma City. The fifth-round pick in 2011 struck out 120 in 124 2/3 innings and held hitters to a .202 average. Tropeano also had an impressive 0.99 WHIP at Oklahoma City.

Iwakuma has won five consecutive decisions and his next victory will represent a career high. He beat Texas in his last outing when he gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Iwakuma is 4-2 with a 2.56 ERA in seven career starts against the Astros and is 2-1 with a 4.12 ERA in three 2014 outings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Houston 1B Jon Singleton went 2-for-3 on Tuesday after going 2-for-30 over his previous 11 games.

2. Seattle 1B Logan Morrison homered on Tuesday for the first time since Aug. 6.

3. Altuve is 8-for-19 with three RBIs against Iwakuma, while SS Marwin Gonzalez is 7-for-12 with one homer.

PREDICTION: Mariners 6, Astros 5