Tigers at Astros
The Houston Astros have seen a lack of offense create plenty of issues in the early portion of the season. Although they scored the lone run in the opener, the Astros look to get their offense untracked when they vie for a series victory against the visiting Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
Houston had mustered just six runs during its three-game losing streak before Colby Rasmus' RBI single in the first inning Friday accounted for all of the damage in a 1-0 win. Rasmus recorded his fourth multi-hit performance in his last seven contests but traditionally has struggled versus Saturday starter Justin Verlander, going 2-for-11 with three strikeouts. Detroit had little issue scoring runs as it erupted for 22 during its three-game winning streak before being limited to just five hits on Friday. Former Astro J.D. Martinez is 14-for-34 in nine games this season and 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs in a small sample size against Saturday starter Collin McHugh.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, ROOT (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Justin Verlander (0-1, 8.71 ERA) vs. Astros RH Collin McHugh (1-1, 6.14)
After recording a quality start in his season debut, Verlander was blitzed for seven runs and 10 hits - including five doubles - in just 4 1/3 innings of a 7-4 setback against Pittsburgh on Monday. The 2011 American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner looks to bounce back versus Houston, against which he scattered three hits over seven scoreless frames in his last encounter. Verlander owns a 2-0 record with a 1.62 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in five career starts against the Astros.
McHugh rebounded from a brutal season debut in which he lasted just one-third of an inning to allow eight hits over seven scoreless frames in an 8-2 win over Kansas City on Monday. The 28-year-old pitched well in both career outings versus Detroit but dropped his lone decision despite yielding just four runs in 14 total innings. Nick Castellanos is 10-for-25 in his last seven games overall but just 1-for-6 lifetime against McHugh.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit DH Victor Martinez went 0-for-4 in the series opener and is three RBIs shy of becoming the fifth Venezuelan-born player to reach 1,000 for his career.
2. Houston RHP Lance McCullers is dealing with lingering shoulder discomfort and was scratched from Saturday's outing with Double-A Corpus Christi.
3. Tigers 2B Ian Kinsler has hit safely in four straight games and eight of nine this season.