Houston @ Washington preview
Nationals Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2010 ) Houston 8, Washington 2
While all the focus is on the postseason races coming down to the wire, the Houston Astros have flown under the radar.
The Astros will be looking to continue their feel-good surge to the finish line when they face the Washington Nationals again on Tuesday.
Houston was rightfully written off rather early this season after beginning the campaign with an eight-game losing streak and an ugly 17-34 mark at the beginning of June. The slow start prompted a sell-off of franchise icons Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman and allowed what little media was left following the team to turn its sights toward a rebuilding campign.
But first-year manager Brad Mills has not let his group give up. The Astros have ridden a strong starting rotation and some improved offense to a 33-18 record since July 27. Now, Houston suddenly finds itself with a realistic shot at finishing the season with a .500 record.
The Astros certainly looked like a winning team in the series opener on Monday by taking advantage of Washington’s mistakes and turning them into runs. Geoff Blum and Humberto Quintero each homered during a seven-run fifth inning while Washington made three errors in the frame.
Bud Norris took over from there, showing once again that there is hope in the Houston rotation with 6 2/3 strong innings in an eventual 8-2 triumph.
J.A. Happ will be looking to regain his fine form when he starts for the Astros on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old left-hander had put together a string of seven straight starts in which he had allowed three runs or less before running into trouble against the Milwaukee Brewers last week. Happ was knocked around for five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings, though he did not factor in the decision.
A big part of Houston’s renewed optimism, Happ is one reason why the franchise now believes its rebuilding plan won’t take quite as long as expected.
He faced the Nationals back on April 15 when he was still with the Philadelphia Phillies, not factoring in the decision despite allowing three hits and no earned runs in 5 1/3 frames. Happ owns a 3-0 record with a 1.53 ERA in eight career games - two starts - against Washington.
The Nationals will send left-hander John Lannan to the hill.
The 25-year-old has been strong of late, yielding three earned runs or less in eight of his last nine outings. Like Happ, Lannan figures to be part of the equation if and when Washington becomes a postseason contender in the NL East, though not at the top of the rotation.
Lannan suffered a loss against the Astros in June, surrendering five runs - two earned - and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. He has made five starts against Houston in his career, going 3-2 with a 4.45 ERA.