Crunch time as AL West leading Mariners face rival Houston Astros

The Mariners enter the second half of the season holding a one game lead in the American League West over the Astros as they head into a three-game series with Houston starting Friday.

Why it matters: The Mariners have seen the 10-game lead they had in mid-June dwindle, closing out the first half of the season with three consecutive losses to the L.A. Angels on the road .

Between the lines: Despite a slow start and the recent losing streak, Seattle is still atop the division with a 52-46 record.

• Meanwhile, the Astros — 50-46 — were building momentum before the all-star break with a 10-game home winning streak that was snapped by the Texas Rangers .
• The Mariners — minus Andrés Muñoz , who played in the Midsummer Classic — should enter the key series well rested.

What they're saying: Seattle pitcher Logan Gilbert, who did not play in the all-star game due to short rest, described the mounting anxiety among fans and in the clubhouse as the "best way you can be upset" because it's driven by high expectations and hope.

• "We see ourselves as the front-runners," he told the Seattle Times . "We know that we're not playing our best ball yet, but it's kind of encouraging that we know the best is hopefully ahead for us."

Yes, but: Seattle is known for losing leads and has only been to the playoffs once in last 20 years , said Karl Singleton, an Astros fan who reached out to Axios to share his enjoyment of his team's rivalry with the Mariners.

• "You haven't been the same since Ken Griffey Jr. went to Cincinnati," he told Axios.
• Despite recent stumbles, the Mariners are good enough this year to make the rivalry fun , he said.
• Last year, there were two incidents — in May and September — between Mariners and Astros players that cleared the benches but led to nothing more than a little pushing and heated words.

Fun fact: A true rivalry requires competitors who face off repeatedly and are evenly matched, which can elevates the stakes of a sporting event into something greater, according to Mariners' writer Kate Preusser .

• "Nothing could be better for baseball," Preusser wrote. "I want players from opposing fanbases to hate each other so much they engage in spontaneous rap battles on sight, Teen Witch-style . I want a 14-year-old to teach themself Adobe After Effects just to take an enemy player's head and blow it up like the Death Star after a key strikeout.
• Old rivalries are dying, Preusser writes of the M's budding rivalry with Houston. "Let's get some new blood up in here."

My thought bubble: Haters be darned . Yes, some booed when the M's broke our hearts but it's better, they say, to have loved and lost than never to have rooted for the underdogs at all.

What's next: Following their three-game set against the Astros, the Mariners will take on the Angels starting Monday at home.