Athletics at Astros
The Oakland Athletics attempt to bounce back from a thorough trouncing and win their fourth straight series when they visit the Houston Astros on Sunday for the finale of their three-game set. Oakland won nine of its previous 11 contests before suffering an 11-0 defeat on Saturday, evening this series at one victory apiece.
The Athletics were unable to solve Lance McCullers Jr., who was perfect through five innings before Mark Canha led off the sixth with one of the team's three singles. Marcus Semien's six-game hitting streak came to an end as he went 0-for-4, while Oakland dropped to 3-2 on its nine-game road trip. Three-time American League batting champion Jose Altuve continued his wizardry at the plate in Saturday's triumph, going 4-for-5 with a double, a homer and two RBIs. The reigning AL MVP has been held without a hit in only four of his 28 games this year.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Trevor Cahill (1-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Astros RH Gerrit Cole (2-1, 1.29)
After recording a victory with a stellar effort in his season debut, Cahill was not as sharp at Texas on Monday and settled for a no-decision. The 30-year-old Californian, who scattered five hits over seven scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox on April 17, yielded three runs and four hits over five frames versus the Rangers. Cahill has notched a victory while giving up six runs (five earned) and 12 hits over 7 1/3 innings in two career appearances against Houston, including one start.
Cole is coming off his first loss of the season, a setback against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday in which he gave up only two runs and four hits over seven innings. The 27-year-old, who also hails from the Golden State, has worked exactly seven frames and allowed fewer than three runs in each of his first five turns this year. Cole made his only career start against Oakland while with Pittsburgh on July 9, 2013, when he suffered a loss despite yielding only two runs and five hits in seven innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Astros SS Carlos Correa has gone 18-for-43 during his 12-game hitting streak.
2. Canha has hit safely in 12 of his 15 contests this season.
3. Houston OF George Springer has recorded at least one hit in nine of his last 10 games and has yet to be held without one in back-to-back contests this year.