ON DECK: SEATTLE MARINERS AT ASTROS
When/where: 7:10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 6:10 p.m. Saturday, 1:10 p.m. Sunday; Minute Maid Park.
TV/radio: ATTSW; 790 AM, 93.3 FM (Spanish) and 1010 AM (Spanish) all four games, 740 AM on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Pitchers: Thursday, RHP José Urquidy (9-4, 3.93) vs. RHP Logan Gilbert (10-4, 2.77); Friday, RHP Justin Verlander (13-3, 1.86) vs. LHP Robbie Ray (8-7, 3.90); Saturday, TBD vs. RHP Chris Flexen (7-8, 3.75); Sunday, TBD vs. RHP George Kirby (2-3, 3.50). Astros (64-35) update: Houston is 9-6 against Seattle heading into its final series of the year against the Mariners. … Despite missing 17 games, Yordan Alvarez is on pace for 47 home runs, which would tie the franchise record set by Jeff Bagwell in 2000. … Jose Altuve ranks fifth in club annals with 1,519 games. He passed Terry Puhl (1,516) during this week’s series at Oakland. … Verlander is 4-1 against Seattle this year with a 2.60 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 34 2⁄3 innings. His win over the Mariners last Saturday was the 239th of his career, tying Hall of Famer Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown and David Wells for 59th all-time. Frank Tanana is next with 240. … Lefthander Framber Valdez, who figures to pitch Saturday or Sunday, has made 16 consecutive quality starts. The only Astro with a longer streak was Mike Scott, who made 20 in a row in 1986.
Mariners (54-45) update: Seattle, swept at home last weekend by Houston, has won 17 straight against teams that aren’t the Astros. It swept three from Texas on this week, going 11-2 against the Rangers this year. … A sore left wrist kept Home Run Derby runner-up Julio Rodriguez out of last weekend’s series, but he returned to action with a vengeance Tuesday, homering on his first swing. On Wednesday, his three-run homer was the decisive blow in Seattle’s 4-2 win. … Rodriguez has reached base in 20 consecutive games, the majors’ longest active streak. … In 55 games since May 15, Cal Raleigh leads all major league catchers in home runs (13), extra-base hits (25) and RBIs (36). … All-Star first baseman Ty France missed Wednesday after hurting his left wrist while swinging Tuesday. Manager Scott Servais said France is day-to-day. … In their 54 games since May 27, Mariners pitchers lead the majors with a 2.93 ERA. … The Mariners have an MLB-best 23 wins (vs. 12 losses) in one-run games. Seattle led the majors with 33 one-run victories a year ago and could become the first team to lead MLB in one-run wins in back-to-back seasons since the Dodgers in 1983-84 (with 30 and 34, respectively).