Atlanta @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( May 2, 2010 ) Houston 1, Atlanta 7
In the middle of a tight pennant race in the NL East, the Atlanta Braves are looking to a 22-year-old left-hander to help them.
The Braves have called up Mike Minor to make his big league debut on Monday night against the Houston Astros in the opener of a three-game series.
Atlanta selected Minor out of Vanderbilt University with the seventh overall pick of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, and he has made great strides at Triple-A Gwinnett this season. In his six starts at Gwinnett, he is 4-1 with a 1.89 ERA.
In 21 combined starts between Gwinnett and Double-A Mississippi, Minor is 6-7 with a 3.44 ERA and a .217 opponents batting average. He has 146 strikeouts to only 46 walks over 120 innings pitched.
Minor takes the place of Kris Medlen, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right elbow.
Offensively, the Braves had a solid showing on Sunday, cruising to a 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
David Ross had a two-run home run, Omar Infante added a solo shot and Melky Cabrera had three hits, including an RBI single, to pace the Braves. The team went 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.
The Astros, meanwhile, are looking to Norris to help them snap a four-game losing streak, including getting swept by the Brewers over the weekend. Norris has pitched well of late, despite posting a 1-2 mark with a 3.73 ERA in his last five starts.
Norris earned the win in his last start against the St. Louis Cardinals last Tuesday. He allowed four runs and seven hits with six strikeouts in six innings in the Astros’ 18-4 victory. He went six innings in his previous two starts, as well.
In his first career start against the Braves on May 2, Norris took the loss. He lasted only 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs and eight hits with four walks and three strikeouts. So far, that is the most earned runs he has given up this season.
The Astros jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Sunday with RBI singles from Jeff Keppinger and Carlos Lee. But that was the only lead the Astros would have and eventually dropped an 11-6 decision to the Brewers.
Michael Bourn added a two-run single in the fourth, Lee had an RBI double in the eighth and Keppinger had an RBI single in the ninth.