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May 7, 2016 - 5:59 AM Dallas Keuchel insists he's ready to begin a new home winning streak, but riding one of the worst three-game stretches of his career doesn't instill confidence.

After roughing up the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner at the end of April, the Seattle Mariners will try to get to him again Saturday night when they look to avoid their first back-to-back losses in more than two weeks against the Houston Astros.

Keuchel (2-4, 5.11 ERA) had won 17 in a row at Minute Maid Park before allowing five runs, seven hits and five walks over a season-low 4 1/3 innings in a 6-2 loss to Minnesota on Monday. He had a 1.47 ERA over his previous 22 regular-season home starts.

"I'll just start a new (winning streak)," the left-hander told the league's official website. "That's baseball. I mean, you can be the highest of high and the lowest of low and you've got to just try to stay on an even keel, and that's what I've got to do, get back to focusing on every pitch and make sure I'm doing a good job."

The performance, however, wasn't merely an aberration. Keuchel has posted an 8.82 ERA while allowing 26 hits over his first three-game losing streak since August 2012.

He's given up two runs over 15 innings in winning his last two home starts versus Seattle (17-12), but allowed five over six in a 11-1 road loss April 26. Ketel Marte went 2 for 3 with a double off him in that contest and Chris Iannetta added a double.

Nelson Cruz is 8 for 17 with two home runs and a double lifetime when facing Keuchel, while Iannetta has gone 6 for 18 with a homer. Kyle Seager (6 for 28), Leonys Martin (4 for 20) and Robinson Cano (4 for 22), though, haven't fared as well.

Manager A.J. Hinch says the club will have to provide Keuchel with some help as it goes after its fourth victory in five games following Friday's 6-3 win.

"All the pressure isn't on Dallas to be some stopper," he said.

Houston (11-19) is showing life offensively, averaging 7.8 runs and hitting .382 with runners in scoring position over its last four games. Jose Altuve had been 7 for 9 in his previous two games before going hitless Friday when Houston evened this series.

George Springer is 5 for 16 with two home runs in his last five games, while Carlos Correa has gone 6 for 11 with two homers and five RBIs over his past three.

They'll try to keep it going against right-hander Nathan Karns (3-1, 3.81), who is looking to win a fourth consecutive decision. He allowed two hits and struck out six over seven scoreless innings when he opposed Keuchel in late April.

On Monday, Karns held Oakland to three runs over six innings in a 4-3 road win. He hopes to help Seattle avoid its first consecutive defeats since April 17 and 19.

Karns is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA with 14 strikeouts in two starts versus Houston.

Seager and Marte had four of the Seattle's five hits Friday. Seager is 12 for 29 in his past seven games and Marte is 10 for 28 while hitting safely in his last seven.

"We made it interesting. I credit our guys for not packing it in," manager Scott Servais said Friday after his team tried to rally from a five-run deficit.






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