Astros at Tigers
Despite winning seven of their last eight to complete a 7-2 homestand, the Houston Astros have done their best work on the road this season. The Astros look to improve upon their league-best 12-4 mark away from home on Thursday when they begin a four-game series in Detroit against the Tigers.
Houston, which has been baseball's worst team in three of the last four
years and posted six consecutive losing seasons, improved to an American
League-best 27-14 following Wednesday’s 6-1 victory over Oakland. In
addition to getting off to their best 41-game start in team history,
this marks the latest in a season the Astros stand atop their division –
the American League West – since setting the pace in the National League Central on
May 22, 2004. Detroit (24-17) is just one game over .500 since opening
the season with six straight victories and avoided a three-game sweep at
home by Milwaukee on Wednesday. Recent history is on the Tigers’ side
in this series, however, as they have won nine of their last 11 meetings
with the Astros in Detroit.
TV: 1:08 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Scott Feldman (3-4, 5.06 ERA) vs. Tigers LH David Price (3-1, 3.40)
Feldman
settled down after surrendering three first-inning runs on Saturday,
yielding no more offense over his final 5 2/3 innings while striking out
a season-high 10 in a 6-5 win against Toronto. The 32-year-old, who has
posted a 12.38 ERA in the opening frame over his eight outings this
year, is 1-3, 7.34 over six starts and six relief appearances in his
career against Detroit. Feldman has struggled the most versus Miguel
Cabrera, who is 9-for-16 with two doubles and two homers against the
Hawaii native.
Despite allowing all three of his runs on solo
homers on Saturday, Price did not factor into the decision after fanning
nine over 6 2/3 innings at St. Louis. The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner
hasn’t been his usual dominant self since tossing a five-hitter at
Kansas City on May 2, giving up eight runs (seven earned) and 20 hits in
13 innings over his last two turns. Price is 3-2 with a 2.92 ERA in
five career starts against the Astros and has mostly thrived versus Jose
Altuve (3-for-11, three strikeouts), George Springer (1-for-8, six strikeouts) and Chris
Carter (2-for-14, five strikeouts).
WALK-OFFS
1. Houston CF Jake Marisnick leads the AL in road batting average (.408).
2.
Detroit RF J.D. Martinez – a former Houston outfielder – is batting
.410 with seven runs scored, two doubles and two homers during his
11-game hitting streak.
3. The Astros lead the majors in runs scored (73) and home runs (20) in the seventh inning or later.