Giants at Astros
The San Francisco Giants found their offense in the last two games and bashed their way to a pair of wins over the Colorado Rockies. That offense could have a harder time finding runs when it visits the best pitching staff in the majors for the start of a two-game interleague series at the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
The Astros own the best ERA in the majors at 2.43 - nearly a run better than the next-best team - and will throw the top two starters in the American League in terms of ERA at the Giants with Gerrit Cole starting the series opener and Justin Verlander closing out the brief set Wednesday. Houston's staff allowed three or fewer runs in 12 of the last 13 games and one or zero runs in seven of those contests, including a 3-1 triumph over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday that gave the team its fourth straight series win. San Francisco (24-24) moved back to .500 by pounding out nine runs in back-to-back games against the Rockies, and Brandon Belt continued his tear by homering Sunday to give himself five blasts in the last seven contests. The Giants will try to match Cole on Tuesday by sending rookie lefty Andrew Suarez to the mound in search of his second career win.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Andrew Suarez (1-3, 4.88 ERA) vs. Astros RH Gerrit Cole (4-1, 1.75)
Suarez earned his first win by not allowing an earned run over 5 1/3 innings at Atlanta on May 6 but struggled to find that same form over his last two outings. The 25-year-old Florida native was ripped for a total of 10 runs (nine earned) on 15 hits in 10 innings against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh in his last two turns. Suarez owns 28 strikeouts and just five walks in 27 2/3 innings this season but has been reached for six home runs.
The Giants could be catching Cole at the right time with the veteran coming off his worst outing of the season after allowing three runs on five hits in a season-low five innings at the Angels last Tuesday. Cole still notched seven strikeouts in that out to boost his AL-leading total to 93 in 61 2/3 innings, and his .166 batting-average against ranks second in the majors behind Verlander. The UCLA product is 4-1 with a 3.18 ERA in six career starts against San Francisco.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Astros placed OF Derek Fisher (stomach) on the 10-day DL Sunday and recalled 3B J.D. Davis.
2. San Francisco RF Andrew McCutchen (knee) sat out Sunday and is day-to-day.
3. Houston OF Josh Reddick (leg infection) started Sunday and went 1-for-4 with an RBI double.