Athletics at Astros
After guaranteeing themselves at worst a split of their 10-game homestand, the Houston Astros attempt to clinch a winning record when they host the Oakland Athletics on Saturday afternoon for the third contest of their four-game series. Houston improved to 5-3 on its stretch at home on Friday, rallying for a wild 10-9 victory in which Luis Valbuena belted a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth after Oakland plated five in the top of the inning.
Valbuena finished with three hits and is 7-for-17 with three blasts and eight RBIs during his five-game hitting streak. The Athletics have lost three of their last four contests and are just 2-6 this month. Jed Lowrie led Oakland with three hits on Friday while All-Star Stephen Vogt, Billy Butler and Yonder Alonso notched two apiece, with the latter's two-run homer igniting the team's ninth-inning rally. Marcus Semien also went deep, belting his fourth shot in nine games and 19th of the year - tops among all major-league shortstops.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), ROOT (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Kendall Graveman (4-6, 4.57 ERA) vs. Astros RH Lance McCullers (4-2, 3.57)
Graveman improved to 3-0 over his last eight starts on Monday, when he held the Twins to one run on three hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings at Minnesota. The 25-year-old native of Alabama has allowed fewer than three runs in seven of his last nine outings and has served up only two homers over 49 2/3 frames in that span. Graveman split his first two career starts against the Astros before escaping with a no-decision at Houston on June 4 after yielding five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.
McCullers also has been strong of late, allowing a total of four runs over 19 1/3 innings in his last three starts. The 22-year-old Floridian recorded his only victory in that stretch on Monday, when he limited Seattle to one run and five hits while recording a season high-tying 10 strikeouts in seven frames. McCullers settled for a no-decision in his first career start against Oakland before allowing two runs over seven innings in a victory on June 5.
WALK-OFFS
1. Astros SS Carlos Correa's homer on Friday was his 35th for the team as a shortstop, tying Adam Everett for the franchise record.
2. Oakland OF Coco Crisp sat out the series opener as he served a one-game suspension, which he received from the league for "intentionally throwing his bat in the direction of home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn" on Thursday.
3. Houston has won six of its last seven series.