(Photo credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images)

The Houston Astros were 20 games above .500 on July 6 and seemingly ready to skate to their ninth straight playoff spot.

Yet with six games remaining in the regular season, the Astros are in a big battle to keep their postseason streak alive.

Houston (84-72) needs to rack up victories in the final week of the season and it opens a six-game road trip on Tuesday night when it faces the Athletics in West Sacramento, Calif.

The Astros play three games against the A's before moving down the West Coast for three games against the Los Angeles Angels. Both teams have been eliminated from the American League playoff chase.

Houston just got swept in a three-game home set by the Seattle Mariners, who own a three-game lead over the Astros in the AL West. The Astros are also in the mix for the final two spots in the wild-card race.

Houston manager Joe Espada vows that his team will step up this week.

'It's one game at a time,' Espada told reporters after Sunday's 7-3 loss to Seattle. 'We've got six to go, six big ones. We played really well on the West Coast. We need to bring it, man. This is crunch time. This is when you play your best. I'll take this team against any other team when our backs are against the corner.'

Houston was outscored 17-7 in the crucial series with Seattle. Making matters worse for the Astros is that the Mariners also hold the tiebreaker edge.

The more probable route to the postseason is the wild-card race where the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers are also involved. Either Detroit or Cleveland will win the AL Central and those squads begin a three-game series Tuesday.

Infielder Carlos Correa feels everything revolves around what the Astros do.

'We have to go out there and figure out a way to win, no matter if it's pretty or ugly,' Correa said. 'At the end of the day, it's about the 'W' at the end.'

Houston hopes to have All-Star shortstop Jeremy Pena back in the lineup. He sat out Sunday due to left oblique soreness.

The Athletics (73-83) lost via shutout to the Pittsburgh Pirates in their last two games after winning seven of their previous eight.

The A's boast three 30-homer players with star rookie Nick Kurtz belting 33 and Shea Langeliers and All-Star Brent Rooker each hitting 30.

Rooker also has 40 doubles and 87 RBIs but the number on his mind is 162. He's in position to join Miguel Tejada (three times), Terrence Long (twice), Matt Olson and Marcus Semien as Athletics since the turn of the century who played in every game.

'It wasn't a goal of mine to start the year,' Rooker said. 'But the further I've kind of gotten into it, I've played all of them at this point, so I might as well. Hopefully, I'll be in there for every one of them the rest of the way.'

Rooker, 30, is 0-for-6 with three strikeouts against right-hander Cristian Javier (2-3, 4.45 ERA), who will start for the Astros.

Javier has made seven starts since returning from Tommy John surgery. He ended a five-game winless stretch by beating the Texas Rangers last Wednesday when he gave up two runs and five hits over six innings.

Javier, 28, is 4-4 with a 3.92 ERA in 14 career appearances (11 starts) against the A's.

Left-hander Jeffrey Springs (10-11, 4.17) starts for the Athletics. He is 0-4 with a 4.73 ERA over his last eight turns.

Springs, 33, defeated the Astros on July 25 when he gave up two runs and four hits over six innings. He is 2-0 with a 4.70 ERA against Houston in three career appearances (one start).

--Field Level Media