The Seattle Mariners continue their series with the Houston Astros in the Lone Star state of Texas on Tuesday. The pair of American League West foes will look to improve upon their performance in April. The Mariners are finally clicking as they've ascended to second in the West. Meanwhile, the reigning American League champions Houston Astros are toiling in third place with a losing record and are hoping to set things right. Seattle will send right-hander Chris Flexen to the hill at Minute Maid Park, while Houston will counter with 25-year-old Christian Javier.The Astros return home after losing a series to the Toronto Blue Jays despite having a net 0 run differential from the series. The Mariners, on the other hand, are coming off two straight series losses at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins. They might simply be grateful to not have to play in Florida anytime soon.Match DetailsFixture: Seattle Mariners vs. Houston Astros | Regular Season.Date & Time: Tuesday, May 3, 8:10 p.m EDT.Venue: Minute Maid Park- Houston, Texas.Seattle Mariners PreviewThe Seattle Mariners enter the matchup having lost two consecutive series and are hoping to turn their fortunes around before they spiral into a losing record. Fortunately, the team has done well playing against its division as the Mariners are 4-2 against the American League West, outscoring their opponents 34 to 19. The team has struggled to maintain consistency in any facet of their game. However, youngsters like Logan Gilbert have given fans a semblance of hope for the future and confidence for now that the team will be competitive.Key Player - JP CrawfordThe gold-glove shortstop looks to be on his way to his first All-Star Game selection. The 2022 campaign has seen JP Crawford maintain his stellar level of defense while strengthening his ability to hit for average. He is currently sporting a .360 batting average to go along with a slugging percentage of .573.MLB@MLB.@jp_crawford makes a visit to the bullpen.85558.@jp_crawford makes a visit to the bullpen. https://t.co/gAvs85h8ZhCrawford has emerged as the best player on the roster and will hope to lead the club to victory at Minute Maid Park.Seattle Mariners Predicted LineupStarting Pitcher: Chris FlexenAdam Frazier, 2BTy France, 1BJ.P. Crawford, SSJesse Winker, LFMitch Haniger, RFEugenio Suarez, 3BJarred Kelenic, DHJulio Rodriguez, CFTom Murphy, CHouston Astros PreviewSince defeating the LA Angels on Opening weekend, the Houston Astros have only won a single series: against the last-placed Texas Rangers. The team has struggled with its pitching, surrendering five runs or more in over 35% of their games this season. Manager Dusty Baker is struggling to find answers outside of ace Justin Verlander and young stud Framber Valdez with respect to stifling opposing offenses.Key Player - Yordan AlvarezYordan Alvarez enters the contest against the Seattle Mariners with a .581 slugging percentage and leads the team in homers. In addition to this, Alvarez is also batting .400 against opposing pitcher Chris Flexen with one home run and four runs batted in. If anyone can ignite the Houston offense in this divisional matchup, it's the 24-year-old Cuban Designated Hitter.FOX Sports: MLB@MLBONFOXYordan Alvarez sends one 447 ft DEAD CENTER to the flight deck (via @astros)1680140Yordan Alvarez sends one 447 ft DEAD CENTER to the flight deck 😳(via @astros)https://t.co/20cwcSMqjIAlvarez is becoming a lethal power threat on this roster, allowing the Houston Astros offense to keep pace with the other frontrunners in the American League offensively.Houston Astros Predicted lineupStarting pitcher: Christian JavierJose Altuve, 2BMichael Brantley, DHAlex Bregman, 3BYuli Gurriel, 1BKyle Tucker, RFJose Siri, CFChas McCormick, LFJeremy Pena, SSJason Castro, CMariners vs Astros predictionThis will be a close matchup between the two foes. Flexen will keep it close and keep the Astros at bay, as their offense is too powerful to completely shut down. In that time, the Mariners will be able to scratch out a couple of runs and rely on their bullpen to give them a one-run victory.Where to watch Mariners vs AstrosThe game can be found on ATT SportsNet-SW in the Houston region and on ROOTNW in the Washington region. Outside of these markets, the game will be available on the MLB Network at 4:10 p.m EDT on Sunday, April 17.