The Mariners have lost five straight on the road, and they return home to host Houston in a three game series starting tonight. The Astros are still very much alive in the AL West, trailing Texas by just 2.5 games with six games to play. The total for tonight's game looks a little low, and I think we'll see some runs at Safeco in Game 1.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Astros hand the ball to Lance McCullers, who has lost five in a row. McCullers (5-7, 3.22 ERA) allowed three runs on four hits, including a pair of home runs in a 4-3 home loss to the Angels in his last outing. He's 1-6 with a 4.88 ERA on the road this season. The Mariners counter with Roenis Elias, who has been hit hard by the Astros.

2. Batter vs. Pitcher - Evan Gattis was 2-for-4 in yesterday's win over Texas, and he's 4-for-9 with a home run lifetime versus Elias.

3. X-Factor - The over is 9-0-1 in the last 10 meetings between these two teams.


Selection: This is a play on the Astros@Mariners to go OVER the total (10*)