Seattle at Houston

First place Seattle is on a 6-2 run and has the best road record (15-9) in the big leagues. 2023 All-Star George Kirby makes his first start, sitting out two months to recover from shoulder inflammation. He has a career 3.43 ERA and 484 strikeouts to just 64 walks. The Mariners' bullpen is eighth in the majors with a 3.35 ERA. The offense is 11th in runs scored, ninth in on-base percentage, 12th in slugging, and eighth in steals. Houston comes home from a seven-game road trip, losing the last two at Tampa Bay, 3-2 and 8-4. Lance McCullers Jr. (7.88 ERA) has struggled, and the offense is 22nd in runs scored, 15th in on-base percentage, 23rd in slugging, and 27th in steals. Play Seattle.