Houston @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Aug 1, 2013 ) Houston 3, Baltimore 6
Since getting three straight off days - in part due to inclement weather - at the end of April, the Baltimore Orioles have taken off with six victories in eight games during May. The Orioles look to remain hot when they start a six-game homestand against the struggling Houston Astros on Friday. Baltimore is still without injured slugger Chris Davis, but Adam Jones is getting on track offensively, Manny Machado is back in the lineup and Nick Markakis boasts a 15-game hitting streak.
Houston snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory at Detroit on Thursday, but still owns the worst record in baseball at 11-24. The Astros are fourth in the American League in homers (36) while scuffling on offense overall with an AL-least 120 runs and .218 team batting average. Matt Dominguez tied shortstop Jonathan Villar for the team lead in round-trippers with five after belting a two-run homer Thursday.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, CSN Houston, MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Scott Feldman (2-1, 1.69 ERA) vs. Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (3-2, 4.24)
Feldman takes the mound for the first time since April 17 after suffering right biceps tendinitis and faces the team he made 15 starts (5-6) with last season. The 31-year-old Hawaii native gave up one run over 20 2/3 innings in the first three of his four starts in 2014. Markakis (6-for-21, three doubles) has hit well against Feldman, who is 4-1 in 12 career appearances (six starts) versus Baltimore with a 3.86 ERA.
Chen has yielded three or fewer runs in four consecutive turns, but lost Saturday 6-1 to Minnesota after giving up three runs (two earned) in only five innings. The Taiwan native struck out 28 and walked eight while surrendering 45 hits in 34 innings overall this season. Chen allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out nine over 7 1/3 innings to beat Houston last July.
WALK-OFFS
1. Houston’s rookie OF George Springer has hit safely in eight straight games, raising his batting average from .170 to .228.
2. Baltimore 1B Steve Pearce was 4-for-10 with two homers in the three-game sweep at Tampa Bay this week.
3. Astros 2B Jose Altuve has gone 70 games without committing an error and made only one in the last 98 contests.
PREDICTION: Astros 5, Orioles 4