3 key factors to watch as Mariners travel to Houston to play the Astros

Well, it's about that time, folks. The Mariners season is officially hanging on by a thread, especially when it comes to the AL West. After blowing a handful of easily winnable games over the last couple of weeks, the Mariners enter a series against the Astros sitting 5 games back in the division. While they were oh so close to being only 1-2 games back, baserunning snafus, bullpen blowups, and defensive miscues have doomed the team in September.

The 5 game mark is just enough for the Mariners to have the slightest of chances to still win the division. They have the tiebreaker with the Astros, and need to sweep them to keep hopes alive as the magic number is just 2 for the Astros. An Astros win is automatically paired with a Mariners loss and gives them the division. A sweep by the Mariners would see them sit at 2 games back as they leave town, keeping hopes alive.

So, what should we be looking out for in the divisional matchup? The Mariners are hanging on by the slightest of threads, and they've wasted all their opportunities over the last three weeks, and can't afford anymore mistakes. Here are the 3 key factors that we need to watch for as the Mariners get set to play three games against the Astros.