(Photo credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images)

The Houston Astros, no longer in sole possession of first place in the American League West, stumble into a three-game series against the Braves that begins Friday in Atlanta.

Houston held a four-game division lead over the Seattle Mariners after beating the New York Yankees 8-7 on Sept. 3.

Since then, the Astros (79-68) are 2-5, and the Mariners grabbed a share of first place Thursday night with a 7-6, 12-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

The Astros had been alone atop the division since Aug. 13. They haven't been out of first place since June 1.

Houston fell 6-0 in the decisive game of a three-game set at Toronto on Thursday, as Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman threw a two-hitter.

'We need to find more consistency in our at-bats game-to-game,' Astros manager Joe Espada said. 'We saw some really good at-bats (Wednesday), the day before I thought we were grinding some at-bats and getting people on base. And then it's just becoming really hard for us to do it three or four games in a row. We need more of our offense to contribute.'

The Astros have lost eight of their past 12, and they are seeking their first series win since Aug. 26-28 against the lowly Colorado Rockies.

Adding to Houston's difficulties is the fact that Espada hadn't announced a starting pitcher for the series opener in Atlanta. Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez are lined up to start for the Astros on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The Braves, meanwhile, are trying to embrace the spoiler role.

Atlanta (65-81) is nearing its first losing campaign since 2017, the last time the team missed the postseason. In an injury-plagued year that has seen the club place each of the five season-opening starting pitchers on the injured list at some point, murmurings of manager Brian Snitker's retirement at season's end have arisen.

The Braves were a preseason favorite to win the National League East and contend for the World Series, but now the 69-year-old skipper will have to decide if the final few weeks of the season will be his last.

'I'm thinking about a lot of things,' said Snitker, who earned his 800th managerial victory in a 4-1 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday. 'I honestly don't know where I'm going to end up and what decision I'm going to make. I still feel like there's some unfinished business. ... I don't want to look back in a year and regret things. I want to make sure I know where I'm going.'

The Braves have lost four of their past five games, leaving them 2-4 on their nine-game homestand. A rare bright spot has been 23-year-old Hurston Waldrep (4-0, 1.33 ERA), who is slated to make his eighth appearance and seventh start of the season on Friday.

Waldrep, who was called up out of necessity in August, allowed more than one run last time out for the first time as a major-leaguer. He went five innings, yielding two runs on two hits in a no-decision against the Mariners. The Braves lost 10-2.

He will be facing the Astros for the first time.

--Field Level Media