The Houston Astros beat the Seattle Mariners on Friday

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners knew the series against the Houston Astros was going to be tough. They ended up making it even tougher for themselves, losing 3-0 Friday at T-Mobile Park. The loss dropped Seattle to 52-47 on the season and moved Houston (51-46) into a tie with the Mariners in the American League West standings.

“We were all fired up and ready to play. Unfortunately, we didn’t give the fans anything to brag about,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said in a postgame interview Friday. “I thought Luis threw the ball really well, we just had a little hiccup in the third inning. … We’ve got to keep going. Our group understands where we’re at. The offense has been a challenge for us here. (We’re) trying different things to get it unlocked and get it going.”

Friday was Seattle’s first game in five days, and at times it played out like one.

The Mariners committed three errors in the game. The first and last of them, in the top of the first and bottom of the fifth, didn’t matter much, aside from some scuffs on the fielding percentages of JP Crawford and Jorge Polanco. The Astros took advantage of the second.

Houston’s Trey Cabbage scored on a throwing error by Seattle third baseman Josh Rojas. Yainer Diaz scored the Astros’ next two runs with a two-RBI single three at-bats later.

Seattle had chances after Diaz’s two-run hit. In the bottom of the third inning, the Mariners loaded the bases with two outs. They failed to bring a run home. It was the fifth time in three games that Seattle failed to score with the bases loaded. The Mariners also had a chance with runners on first and second in the bottom of the fifth inning, but they were forced into a 6-4-3 double play.

There wasn’t much else to say about Seattle other than that. Luis Castillo had a solid game aside from the third three-run hit and got off to his third straight good start. But it was spoiled and Castillo was penalized with the loss (8-10). Victor Robles continued to do well and was the only player with two hits in the game. But it didn’t result in any runs.

The Mariners have two games left in the series, but a lot is working against them. Houston has the best record in the league since June 1, according to Statmuse, and Seattle is out of the lead in the American League West for the first time since May 11.

On Friday, there was a fireworks display after the game to celebrate the 25th anniversary of T-Mobile Park. But the nine innings that preceded it all made it seem more like a whimper than a bang.

And the Mariners lost for the first time this season in their City Connect jersey. When it rains…

SAILORS REINTEGRATE KEY OPERATION: The Seattle Mariners reinstated relief pitcher Gabe Speier from the 15-day injured list Friday and designated reliever Mike Baumann for assignment in a corresponding roster move. CLICK HERE

MARINE RIVALS FOLLOW WORRIED TREND: The Seattle Mariners’ first series after the All-Star break will be against the Houston Astros, who have the league’s best record since June 1. CLICK HERE

SAILORS ARE PASSING A DISAPPOINTING MILE: The Seattle Mariners recorded their 1,000th strikeout of the season in a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. CLICK HERE

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