SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners’ goal was to win this series against the Houston Astros. It was not a surprising or revealing goal because what team doesn’t set out to win a series?

But that was the goal. Mariners manager Scott Servais said so after Tuesday night’s loss, and he said it again before Wednesday night’s 10-5 loss to the Astros — two losses that kept the Mariners from realizing that goal and dropped them to 2-8 this season.

On Tuesday, the Mariners lost largely because of a probably-should-have-caught-it fly ball that wasn’t caught in the sixth inning. On Wednesday, the Mariners lost because of a bullpen collapse — first in the seventh inning, which then continued in the eighth.

Mariners reliever Dan Altavilla allowed three runs in the seventh inning, including one on a wild pitch, erasing the final margin of what had once been a 5-0 lead (Dillon Overton, another reliever, gave up three runs in the eighth inning).

Here’s how the night started, in the first inning: With a walk to Jarrod Dyson, a stolen base, an RBI single from Robinson Cano and another run on an error.

Mariners, 2-0.

The next inning Mike Freeman, who was just called up from the minor leagues the day before, smacked his first major-league home run in his 163rd big-league game and during his 163rd big-league at-bat.

Mariners, 3-0.

And in the inning after that, Taylor Motter, who just replaced injured shortstop Jean Segura the day before, hit just his third major-league home run, a two-run blast to right field.

Mariners, 5-0.

A home run from Freeman, an RBI single from Cano, a run-producing error and a home run from Motter — pretty, pretty good start for the first three innings.

But then … not much. The Mariners didn’t score in the next six innings and watched as the Astros chipped away at that generous early cushion.

Mariners starter Yovani Gallardo didn’t help his cause in the fourth inning when he walked the first two batters he faced.

Both base runners eventually scored, including one after Gallardo walked Brian McCann with the bases loaded. Gallardo allowed two more runs in the fifth inning, his final inning.

That turned the game over to the Mariners bullpen, which ruptured in the seventh inning after Marc Rzepczynski breezed through the sixth.

Dan Altavilla pitched the seventh, and he gave up three singles back-to-back-to-back. Then Alex Bregman slipped a double by a diving Kyle Seager at third base to score another run. The Mariners intentionally walked Brian McCann to load the bases. And then Altavilla threw a wild pitch, which catcher Mike Zunino pounced on and flipped back to Altavilla at the plate. Altavilla tagged Carlos Correa as he slid — but the ball popped out of his glove, allowing yet another run to score.

By the inning’s end, the Mariners’ 5-4 lead had dissolved into a 7-5 deficit.

Dillon Overton allowed three more runs in the eighth inning, furthering the Mariners’ hole.