Cleveland @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 20, 2013 ) Cleveland 19, Houston 6

The Cleveland Indians will try to keep their offense pointed in the right direction when they visit the Houston Astros in the final of their three-game series Sunday. The Indians scored 19 runs in their victory Saturday, crossing the plate 14 times in the first two innings on their way to ending a five-game losing streak. A good sign for the Indians was the performance of veterans Jason Giambi and Nick Swisher. Giambi, who missed the first two weeks of the season with lower-back issues, drove in five runs and Nick Swisher delivered four hits, including a career-high three doubles.

The Astros called up first baseman Brandon Laird from Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier in the week and he made his season debut Saturday, collecting two hits, including his second career home run. Jose Altuve has been the only consistent hitter for the Astros this season. He had two more hits Saturday to extend his hitting streak to six games. He is 10-for-24 at the plate in that span. After a six-game stretch earlier this month in which he was 12-for-26, Astros outfielder Chris Carter is 1-for-19 in the six games since.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), Comcast SportsNet Houston

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Ubaldo Jimenez (0-2, 11.25 ERA) vs. Astros LH Erik Bedard (0-1, 7.04)

Things appear to be going from bad to worse for Jimenez, who struggled through a 9-17 season in 2012 while posting a career-worse 5.40 ERA. He’s been tagged for seven runs in each of his last two starts and couldn’t get out of the second inning Tuesday against the visiting Boston Red Sox. He has allowed 12 hits and 10 walks in 12 innings this season. One part of his repertoire that seems to be missing is a dominant fastball. After averaging 96.1 mph in 2009 and 2010, he averaged 93.5 in his most recent start.

Two starting pitchers for the Astros have lasted one-third of an inning in the last week. Philip Humber managed to get one out in Saturday’s blowout loss to the Indians and Bedard couldn’t get out of the first inning in Monday’s 11-2 setback to the Oakland Athletics. That was the shortest outing by a Houston starter since 2004. Bedard hasn’t faced Cleveland since August 2011 but does have mixed success against Swisher and Giambi. Swisher is 3-for-15 in his career against the 34-year-old but two of his hits have gone for home runs. Giambi is 5-for-23 with eight strikeouts.

WALK-OFFS

1. The 22 hits Saturday were the most by the Indians since they produced 25 against the New York Yankees on April 18, 2009.

2. Jimenez is 4-0 in his career against Houston with a 1.88 ERA. The Astros are the only team he has faced in his career and not given up a home run.

3. The Astros placed OF J.D. Martinez on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee sprain suffered during a fourth-inning at-bat Friday night. He homered in his first plate appearance in the game.

PREDICTION: Indians 9, Astros 8