HOUSTON -- Calling a three-game sweep at Minute Maid Park at the hands of the Mariners a “slap in the face” and “a wakeup call," Astros veteran catcher Martín Maldonado challenged the team to play better baseball, bring more energy and not be content with losing, as the defending World Series champions reached a breaking point Sunday.

Maldonado, who didn’t play in the 7-6 loss to Seattle, spoke up in a team meeting in the clubhouse following the loss, which allowed the Mariners to pull even with the Astros in the loss column. The Mariners (69-55), who went 19-48 against the Astros (70-55) from 2019-22 and were swept in the American League Division Series last year by Houston, are 8-2 vs. the Astros in ‘23.

“The weekend I would say is a slap in the face,” Maldonado said. “We should have played better. Like I said to everybody after the game, this is probably the most disappointing part of the season. It’s a slap in the face and a wakeup call.”

The Mariners shut out the Astros on Friday, hammered them 10-3 on Saturday and held on for dear life Sunday after jumping out to a 6-0 lead. Houston, which had only one at-bat from ailing slugger Kyle Tucker this weekend, was outscored, 19-9, in the three games and outhit, 41-27, while committing four errors.

“I just think we played terrible,” Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. “We need to play a lot better. Everyone in here knows that.”

The Mariners hold the third Wild Card spot in the AL and are only a half-game behind the Astros, who squandered a chance to gain on the first-place Rangers. The Brewers swept Texas in Arlington this weekend, meaning Houston remains 2 1/2 games out of first place.

“The key will be better energy in the dugout, not being satisfied after you lose,” Maldonado said. “I feel like every team that comes here and plays us wants to beat us, and we didn’t make them earn it. We feel like we’re giving it away.”

Astros rookie starter Hunter Brown lasted only 2 2/3 innings in his shortest start of the season Sunday, allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks. The Mariners scored twice in each of the first three innings and led 6-0 when Seattle rookie starter Emerson Hancock was forced to leave the game with a shoulder injury.

“They were pretty much just all over me from the start, and you mix that in with poor execution, you know it’s not going to be a good day for you on the mound. And that’s what happened today,” Brown said.

The Astros got back in the game by scoring five times in the third inning against relief pitcher Tayler Saucedo, capped by a two-run double by Mauricio Dubón to make it 6-5. Bregman’s two-out RBI triple in the sixth got the Astros back within a run, 7-6. Houston managed one hit in the final three innings.

“They kicked our butts,” outfielder Chas McCormick said. “You’ve got to give credit to them. They’re a good team. They pitched well, they played good defense, they hit. We’re not playing our best ball now, but you know, hopefully we get some guys back, and now it’s the Red Sox. They’re a good team as well, but we have to play a little bit better. You have to give credit to the Mariners. They’re playing good ball.”

Seven of the Astros’ next 10 games are against the Red Sox, who come to Houston on Monday after sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx. Boston is three games behind Seattle for the final playoff spot in the AL, which means the Red Sox are 3 1/2 games behind Houston.

“LIke I said in the meeting, we’re paying attention to the Rangers and paying attention to other stuff, [but] it’s more us playing better baseball,” Maldonado said. “We haven’t pitched like the way we’re supposed to pitch, we haven’t hit the way we’re supposed to hit. We can’t worry about other teams. We have to worry about us winning games.”

Bregman labeled the four-game series at Minute Maid Park against the Red Sox as “huge.” And with the Mariners, Blue Jays and now the Red Sox on the Astros’ heels in the AL playoff race, that could probably be said for the remaining 37 games of the regular season.

“Every game down the stretch is huge,” Bregman said. “We better start playing a lot better. Everyone in here knows that. Show up tomorrow ready to go.”