The Houston Astros are set to face the Seattle Mariners for the first time in three months as the race for the American League West division reaches a critical point.

This is an important three-game series at home for the Astros, who are trying to maintain and extend their first-place lead in the division. Houston, at 62-60 entering the series, is currently two games ahead of the Texas Rangers and five games ahead of the Mariners.

The Astros have a great opportunity in this extended homestand at Daikin Park to take better control of the division lead. It begins with the Mariners, whom the Astros are facing for the first time since early May. This Seattle team has given Houston quite a bit of trouble. The Astros have an abysmal 1-7 record against the Mariners this year and have already lost the season series.

Those games took place when the Astros were immensely struggling at the start of the year. The situation has changed a lot since then. The Astros are now in control, with one of the best records since the All-Star break at 15-9, while the Mariners have gone 9-16 in that time frame, losing six out of the eight series.

That has allowed the Astros to open this gap and have a chance to increase it. Here's how to watch this series.

How to Watch Astros vs Mariners

Time: 7:10 p.m. CST
Where: Daikin Park, Houston, Texas
TV: Astros- Space City Home Network; Mariners- Mariners.TV
Radio: Astros- KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2, KLTN-TUDN 102.9 FM; Mariners- Seattle Sports (710 AM)

The first two games on Friday and Saturday will both be on regional networks, while Sunday's series finale will be a national TV game on NBC/Peacock for Sunday Night Baseball.

Astros Starting Lineup

1. SS Jeremy Pena
2. DH Yordan Alvarez (L)
3. 3B Isaac Paredes 
4. LF Taylor Trammell (L)
5. 2B Jose Altuve
6. CF Daulton Varsho (L)
7. 1B Christian Walker
8. RF Cam Smith
9. C Christian Vásquez

Altuve returns to the starting lineup after just a one-game absence, which is great news for the Astros. The star second baseman exited Tuesday's game in San Francisco in the second inning after getting hit by a pitch directly on his left foot. He was ruled to have a left foot contusion and it seemed very sore.

However, it looks like it's gotten better already, at least good enough for him to return. Altuve has done well over his last seven games with an .848 OPS and seven hits.

Trammell gets his fifth opportunity of the season to hit cleanup, as he's been one of the better power bats on the team. Alvarez has yet to hit a home run this month and no longer leads the MLB home run race. He last hit one on July 28.

Pitching Matchup

Astros: Peter Lambert (8-6, 3.09 ERA, 111K) vs Mariners: George Kirby (8-9, 3.68 ERA, 112K)

Kirby has posed a problem for the Astros throughout his career, as he has a 5-1 record with just a 2.14 ERA in his 11 regular season appearances. Alvarez and Altuve each have under a .500 OPS against him.

Paredes has done well against Kirby, going 7/16 (.438 AVG) with three RBI and an .875 OPS. Smith has gone 3-for-6 versus Kirby with a 1.167 OPS, while Varsho has gone 3-for-8 (.375 AVG) with three RBI and an .875 OPS.

Lambert has been the Astros' most reliable pitcher this year and has gone at least five innings in his last eight starts.