Rangers at Astros
The major league-best Houston Astros hit a bit of a rut over the last week with losses in four of six following an 11-game winning streak. Part of that winning streak included a sweep at rival Texas, and the Astros will try to start streaking again when they host the Rangers on Monday in the opener of a three-game series.
Houston began the homestand by dropping two of three to the Los Angeles Angels, marking their first series loss to an American League West opponent. The Astros (44-20) are now 21-8 against divisional rivals, including 6-1 against the Rangers. Texas (30-32) is inching its way back to .500 and is coming off an impressive series sweep of National League East-leading Washington, in which it outscored the Nationals 16-6 and beat reigning NL Cy Young Award Max Scherzer on Sunday. Yu Darvish will try to join the rest of the Rangers rotation with a solid turn on Monday while the Astros welcome right-hander Joe Musgrove back off the disabled list.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), ROOT (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yu Darvish (5-4, 3.18 ERA) vs. Astros RH Joe Musgrove (4-4, 4.89)
Darvish is 0-2 with a 4.42 ERA over his last three starts but turned in the best of the bunch in a no decision against the New York Mets on Wednesday. The Japan native scattered three runs and three hits over 7 1/3 innings while striking out nine and walking one but was left out of the decision as the Rangers dropped a 4-3 contest. Darvish's previous start came against Houston on June 2, and he absorbed the loss while yielding three runs and seven hits in five innings.
Musgrove (shoulder) is coming off the 10-day DL and making his first start since May 26, when he tossed seven scoreless innings in a win over Baltimore while striking out six and not walking a batter. The 24-year-old allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of his last six outings. One of the outliers in that group came at home against Texas on May 4, when Musgrove was lit up for five runs - four earned - on five hits and three walks over four innings to suffer the loss.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers RF Nomar Mazara recorded at least one RBI in each of the last five games.
2. Astros OF Nori Aoki collected his 2,000th professional hit on Sunday.
3. Houston DH Carlos Beltran is 3-for-27 over his last six games.