Astros at Athletics
After taking out the frustrations in the series opener, the Houston Astros hope to have something left in the tank when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game set. Houston began the month by losing five of its first six games but used a 20-hit attack to roll to a 16-2 victory on Monday.
George Springer was the star for the Astros, becoming the second player in franchise history to record a six-hit performance and first to do it in a nine-inning game. The 28-year-old fell a triple shy of the cycle as he matched the hit total from his previous five contests while scoring four runs and driving in three more. Oakland recorded only two more hits than Springer as it had its three-game winning streak come to an end. Jonathan Lucroy went 2-for-3 with an RBI as the Athletics lost for the first time in six home games.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Lance McCullers Jr. (4-1, 3.73 ERA) vs. Athletics LH Sean Manaea (4-3, 1.63)
McCullers won three straight starts before a no-decision against the New York Yankees on Thursday, when he gave up three runs on five hits and three walks in seven innings. The 24-year-old Floridian has allowed a total of five runs over 27 frames in his last four turns after being tagged for eight in 3 2/3 innings at Minnesota on April 11. McCullers improved to 2-1 lifetime against Oakland on April 28, when he yielded two hits and struck out seven in seven scoreless innings.
After surrendering a total of four runs in his previous four starts, Manaea matched that in six innings of a loss at Seattle on Thursday. It marked the first time this season the 26-year-old native of Indiana gave up more than two runs in an outing, although he did not issue a walk for just the second time in seven turns this year. Manaea lowered his career ERA against the Astros to 2.12 but is just 2-3 in nine starts, including a win at Houston on April 27 in which he allowed an unearned run and four hits over seven frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Astros OF Marwin Gonzalez homered and drove in five runs during a 3-for-6 performance on Monday, surpassing his RBI total from his previous nine games (four).
2. Lucroy has gone 8-for-16 during his five-game hitting streak.
3. Houston 2B Jose Altuve has been held hitless twice in seven games this month after going without a hit in only four of his first 30 contests this year.