Houston @ Texas preview

Houston at Texas

Last Meeting ( Apr 12, 2014 ) Houston 6, Texas 5

Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington proved to be prophetic when he suggested the Houston Astros were not the same team his squad dominated last season. The Rangers hope to rebound from a rare loss to the Astros when they conclude their three-game home set against Houston on Sunday. Washington told MLB.com prior to the start of the series that Houston was “not going to be anybody’s doormat” in 2014 after it went 51-111 in its inaugural season in the American League West.

Texas posted its 12th straight win and defeated its in-state rival for the 18th time in 19 tries in a 12-inning affair on Friday, but Houston evened the series with a 10-inning victory on Saturday despite blowing a three-run lead. After ending their long losing streak to the Rangers, the Astros will attempt to take their first series from the Rangers since June 2008 on Sunday. Although it managed to score six runs in its win, Houston still ranks last in the majors with a .189 batting average and faces the difficult task of solving Martin Perez, who dominated the Astros in each of his two starts against them last season.

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, CSN Houston, FSN Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Brett Oberholtzer (0-2, 4.91 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Martin Perez (1-0, 4.50)

Oberholtzer has lasted at least five innings in each of his two starts, but has been a victim of poor run support both times with Houston scoring a total of four runs in those outings. The 24-year-old hurler yielded three runs on three hits and three walks over 5 1/3 innings to take the loss in Tuesday’s 5-2 setback against the Toronto Blue Jays. Oberholtzer dropped his only other career start against Texas, giving up two runs over 6 2/3 innings in a 2-1 loss last season.

Despite putting the leadoff hitter on base in each of the seven innings he started, Perez benefited from five double plays during Tuesday’s 10-7 road triumph over the Boston Red Sox. The 10-game winner from a season ago got the decision despite allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings. Perez totaled 20 strikeouts in his only two career turns against Houston in 2013, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA while holding the Astros to a .179 average.

WALK-OFFS

1. Texas SS Elvis Andrus has hit safely in each of the team’s first 11 games of the season, which is the second-longest such streak in team history.

2. The Rangers are 3-for-35 with runners in scoring position over their last three games.

3. The Astros placed RHP Scott Feldman on the bereavement list and recalled RHP Paul Clemens on Saturday.

PREDICTION: Rangers 3, Astros 1