The last time the Mariners hosted the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park, Seattle opened the series on April 12 with Major League Baseball’s best record at 13-2.
In the fewer than two months since, those same Mariners have posted baseball’s worst record (12-35).
The Astros, likewise, are not the same team that swept Seattle in mid-April. Houston entered Monday’s game with arguably its three biggest bats — Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and George Springer — stashed away on the injured list.
And yet, the Astros didn’t need stars to squeak past the lowly Mariners on Monday.