Indians at Astros
Coming off his first shutout since his American League Cy Young Award-winning campaign of 2014, Corey Kluber will take the mound when the Cleveland Indians open a three-game series against the host Houston Astros on Monday. The Indians are coming off a 5-1 homestand after taking two of three from Kansas City.
Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli homered in Sunday's 5-4 victory for Cleveland, which has scored 32 runs in its last five wins. “That was good. We needed to,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of the way his team rebounded after dropping five of six to close out a nine-game road trip. Houston salvaged a four-game split against visiting Seattle with a 5-1 win on Sunday but remains buried in the AL West basement with a 12-20 record. Mike Fiers will start the series opener for the Astros, who are wrapping up a 10-game homestand.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), ROOT (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Corey Kluber (2-3, 3.35 ERA) vs. Astros RH Mike Fiers (2-1, 5.35)
After opening the season with three consecutive defeats, Kluber turned in his third straight stellar outing by blanking Detroit on five hits for his second career shutout. The 30-year-old has permitted three earned runs and 12 hits while striking out 23 batters in 24 innings over his last three turns after yielding 13 runs and 22 hits in his first three starts. Kluber has a great track history against the Astros, posting a 4-1 record and 1.48 ERA.
Fiers is coming off his shortest outing of the season, lasting only 4 2/3 innings while giving up four runs and nine hits after being staked to an early six-run lead against Minnesota. He worked a season-high seven frames in his previous turn at Oakland but had to settle for a no-decision despite giving up two runs and seven hits. Fiers has not factored in the decision in two starts against the White Sox but has limited them to two runs in 13 2/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians RHP Bryan Shaw has not allowed a run in his last six appearances while holding the opposition to one hit in 17 at-bats.
2. Astros 2B Jose Altuve is 9-for-17 with two homers, five RBIs and eight runs scored in his last five games.
3. Cleveland won five of its seven meetings with Houston in 2015.