Astros, Mariners getting very familiar with each other

SEATTLE -- There are positives and negatives that come with facing a team seven times in the season's first 10 games.

One thing, however, is guaranteed: pitching rematches.

James Paxton outdueled Charlie Morton for the second time on Monday and this time was rewarded with a win, leading the Seattle Mariners to a dominating 6-0 victory in the series opener against the Houston Astros.

Now, back to the regular evening start time devoid of home-opener festivities, Mariners left-hander Ariel Miranda (0-0, 3.60 ERA) and Astros right-hander Joe Musgrove (0-0, 3.60 ERA) will square off for the second time in as many weeks.

Each tossed five innings and allowed two runs on Thursday in the series finale in Houston, Seattle's first win of the season after its bullpen bested the Astros' relievers. The Mariners was winless since until Paxton's seven-inning performance Monday.

Baseball is a game of adjustments, whether from pitch to pitch, at-bat to at-bat or game to game. Those are only amplified when clubs know they will be facing the same pitcher just days apart.

"We're familiar with them," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Who's going to adjust first is really the only change. When you're facing the same hitters over and over again, they pretty much know how you're going to attack them, so you might mix it up a little bit. But the game will tell you what to do."

For Mariners manager Scott Servais, following up a 1-6 season-opening trip with the home opener was akin to starting the year anew. The fact that the Mariners limped home after allowing seven runs in the ninth inning Sunday to lose 10-9 to the Los Angeles Angels contributed to the desire to push the reset button.

"It's Opening Day, the first day of the season," Servais joked Monday. "With what happened this last week, especially yesterday, we needed to bounce back. I felt strongly we would."

But starting pitching was, really, the one area that hadn't been problematic for the Mariners through the first week of the season. Take out shortstop Jean Segura, who is day-to-day with a mild right hamstring strain, and Seattle is hitting just .182 as a team. That even after scoring a combined 14 runs in the last two games.

In only one of those games were the Mariners victorious, though, because of the Sunday bullpen meltdown. Seattle's relievers have allowed 19 runs in 25 1/3 innings, a 6.75 ERA that is fourth worst in baseball.

For two teams with high expectations, neither Houston (4-4) nor Seattle (2-6) has had a smooth start to the season. The Astros are averaging fewer than three runs a game and have now lost five straight, including a home sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals bookended by losses to Seattle.

Houston will look to turn it around behind Musgrove, who went 4-4 with a 4.06 ERA last year in 11 games (10 starts). His appearance last week marked the only time he has faced Seattle.

Miranda is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. He threw seven innings of two-run ball in a 7-3 win over Houston last Sept. 18 at Safeco Field.