Astros at Athletics
The Houston Astros are in a stretch when they play 33 of 36 games against sub-.500 teams heading into the All-Star break and look to stay perfect when they begin a three-game series Tuesday against the Athletics in Oakland. Houston kicked off a 10-game road trip with a four-game sweep of Texas over the weekend as Jose Altuve went 8-for-16 with a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored in the series to raise his batting average to .342.
“I think we haven’t hit on all cylinders yet,” right-hander Lance McCullers Jr., who starts Tuesday, told reporters after the defending World Series champion Astros (42-25) began their five-game winning streak with a 7-5 victory over Seattle on Wednesday. “Now we can keep our foot on the gas pedal on the road.” That is a scary thought for the rest of baseball as Houston is the only team with an ERA lower than 3.00 at 2.93 despite giving up 15 runs against the Rangers and sits third in runs scored at nearly five per game. Oakland (34-32) began a 10-game homestand by taking three of four from Kansas City, capped by Sunday's 3-2 victory on Matt Chapman's go-ahead home run in the eighth inning. McCullers is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts versus Oakland this season and opposes Daniel Mengden, who was roughed up in his last start after going 4-1 with a 1.51 ERA in six May outings - including a loss against Houston.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston), NBCS California (Oakland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Lance McCullers Jr. (7-3, 3.94 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Daniel Mengden (6-5, 3.45)
McCullers earned a no-decision after allowing four runs (three earned), seven hits and two walks over six innings of Houston's 7-5 victory over Seattle on Wednesday. The 24-year-old Floridian has recorded quality starts in four of his last five turns sandwiched around his worst outing of the season, when he yielded seven runs against Cleveland on May 26. Marcus Semien is 6-for-11 versus McCullers, who is 3-1 with a 3.66 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 32 innings over six starts against Oakland.
Mengden permitted six runs, five hits - four home runs - and three walks over four innings of an 8-2 loss at Texas on Wednesday. "More than anything just some balls in the middle of the plate that they didn’t miss on,” Athletics manager Bob Melvin told reporters of the 25-year-old Texan's outing. Altuve is 9-for-17 and Carlos Correa 5-for-10 versus Mengden, who is 0-4 with a 6.23 ERA in six starts versus Houston after allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-1 loss May 9.
WALK-OFFS
1. Correa (.264, 10 home runs, 39 RBIs) is expected to play Tuesday after missing the last four games because of right side soreness.
2. Chapman (.245, 10 homers, 26 RBIs) is 7-for-13 in his last four contests.
3. Astros 1B Yuli Gurriel (.295, two homers, 24 RBIs) matched a career high with four hits Sunday and is 6-for-9 in his last two games.