Oakland @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 4, 2016 ) Oakland 5, Houston 6

The Houston Astros are rolling despite still owning a losing record, living on the edge on a regular basis as they attempt to claw their way back into the American League West race. The Astros eye their 11th win in 13 tries and attempt to win for the eighth time in their last nine at home Sunday, when they try to complete a three-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics.

Houston has been involved in an AL-high nine extra-inning affairs this season (6-3) but have won the last five such contests following a 12-inning victory versus Oakland on Saturday. The Astros (27-30), who also are tied with Toronto for the most games decided by two runs or fewer (33), have remained within reach of division-leading Texas in part because they have taken each of the four extra-inning contests they have played during their hot streak. Oakland has dropped four straight on the road and will enter the series finale without Rich Hill, who has emerged as the team's ace this season and won each of his last five starts. The Athletics chose to scratch the 36-year-old left-hander over the weekend due to a groin injury and instead will turn to Sonny Gray, who initially was expected to make a minor-league rehab start on Sunday before the change of plans.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), ROOT (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Sonny Gray (3-5 , 6.19 ERA) vs. Astros RH Lance McCullers (2-1, 4.79)
With Oakland electing to skip Hill, Gray is expected to be activated from the disabled list in time for the series finale after recovering from a strained right trapezius. The 2015 All-Star is hoping to rebound from a brutal five-outing stretch during which he went 0-4 with a 10.39 ERA prior to his DL stint. Gray has enjoyed considerable success against the Astros in seven career starts, going 4-2 with a 2.61 ERA (2-1, 3.08 in four turns last season).
McCullers struggled with his command again but managed to win for the second time in as many tries Tuesday at Arizona after allowing three runs on six hits and four walks in five frames. It was more of the same for the 22-year-old, who issued six free passes five days earlier against Baltimore, removing some of the luster from a 10-strikeout effort in which he yielded one hit over five frames. McCullers settled for a no-decision in his big-league debut versus Oakland last May, permitting one run over 4 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS
1. The Astros are 21-17 in their last 38 games versus Oakland after losing 25 of their first 30 meetings.
2. Houston C Evan Gattis, who is 5-for-9 in the series, has homered in three of his last four games and driven in eight runs in that span.
3. Athletics 2B Jed Lowrie, who on Saturday ended a 40-game homerless streak to begin the season, is 13-for-36 with six runs scored in nine starts since coming off the disabled list on May 25.

PREDICTION: Astros 6, Athletics 3