The Houston Astros own the best road record in baseball, and they have a chance to add a few more victories away from home when they visit the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game interleague series that begins Monday. Houston is 35-12 on the road after beginning a nine-game trip by winning two of three at Baltimore over the weekend.
The Phillies, meanwhile, have the worst record in the majors and are 18-26 at home, although they took two of three from National League Central-leading Milwaukee after posting a 6-3 win on Sunday. Philadelphia has captured five of its last seven overall contests. The Astros are just 5-4 since the All-Star break but possess the best record in the American League by a wide margin and lead the AL West by 17 games. Philadelphia's Vince Velasquez, a second-round pick of the Astros in the 2010 draft, will face his former team for the first time in the series opener.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston), CSN Philadelphia
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Brad Peacock (8-1, 2.49 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Vince Velasquez (2-5, 5.14)
Peacock continued his breakout season with his fifth consecutive win Tuesday against Seattle, holding the Mariners to one run and three hits over seven innings while striking out nine. The 29-year-old has posted a 1.82 ERA with 35 strikeouts during his five-start winning streak. Peacock is 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two career starts against the Phillies.
Velasquez was excellent at Miami on Tuesday, holding the Marlins to two runs - one earned - over six innings but settled for a no-decision. It was the 25-year-old’s first start since May 30 after spending six weeks on the disabled list with a strained flexor in his right elbow. Velasquez has struggled to a 6.26 ERA in five home starts this season after going 4-3 with a 2.88 ERA at home a year ago.
WALK-OFFS
1. Astros 2B Jose Altuve is hitting .500 with four homers, 15 runs, and 16 RBIs during his career-best 15-game hitting streak.
2. Philadelphia has scored five or more runs in seven straight games, its longest such streak in a single season since an eight-game run in 2005.
3. Houston INF Marwin Gonzalez has hit safely in six straight games, registering multiple hits in each of his last three contests.