Oakland @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 5, 2013 ) Oakland 8, Houston 3
The Oakland Athletics took a couple games to get their offense going, but haven’t skipped a beat since. The Athletics look to maintain their scoring pace on the road and extend the Houston Astros’ woes as they continue their three-game set Saturday. After managing one run and six hits in its first two games, Oakland has compiled 22 runs and 31 hits over its last three contests.
Houston has struggled to make contact, striking out 56 times through the first four games – a major league record. The offense, which tallied eight runs in Sunday’s season-opening win over the Texas Rangers, ended a 23 1/3-inning scoreless streak in Friday’s 8-3 loss when Jose Altuve scored Marwin Gonzalez with one out in the sixth.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Comcast SportsNet California (Oakland), Comcast SportsNet Houston
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Bartolo Colon (2012: 10-9, 3.43 ERA) vs. Astros RH Bud Norris (1-0, 3.18)
Colon, who missed the final 45 games of the 2012 season as a result of testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, sat out the first five games to complete Major League Baseball’s 50-game suspension. The 39-year-old comes off the suspended list on the first day he is eligible, one year after enjoying his lowest ERA and WHIP (1.21) totals since his claimed the American League Cy Young Award in 2005. Colon is 3-2 with a 3.54 ERA all-time against the Astros in six starts, but hasn’t faced them since 2007.
Norris will move up a day but pitch on regular rest since Houston had two days off over the first five days of the season, delaying Erik Bedard’s first start with the team until Tuesday. The Greenbrae, Calif., native allowed two runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings against the Rangers, striking out five. Although he has never faced Oakland, Norris has dominated Chris Young (0-for-8) and fared much better at Minute Maid Park in his career (18-14, 3.50 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) than he has on the road (11-23, 5.39, 1.54).
WALK-OFFS
1. Each of the four starting pitchers the Astros have faced have either set or tied career highs in strikeouts against them.
2. Houston starters have a 2.49 combined ERA through four games.
3. The Athletics completed their second trade in as many days, acquiring C Stephen Vogt from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
PREDICTION: Athletics 4, Astros 2