Texas @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( May 10, 2013 ) Texas 4, Houston 2

Texas ace Yu Darvish will be hard-pressed to match his season-opening performance against host Houston when the Rangers and Astros play the second contest of a three-game set on Saturday. Darvish struck out 14 – a career best tied in his last outing – and came within one out of a perfect game in a 7-0 victory at Minute Maid Park on April 2. Astros shortstop Marwin Gonzalez ended Darvish’s perfecto with a solid ground single through Darvish’s legs.

Darvish leads the majors with 72 strikeouts and making his total more impressive is that he has pitched only 45 2/3 innings. He is not expecting to equal the dominating performance from last month. “I’m sure their lineup has changed since I faced them,” Darvish told reporters through an interpreter. “So I will face them looking at it as a new challenge and a new team.” Texas won the opener of the series 4-2 for its 17th victory in the last 21 meetings with the Astros. Jeff Baker hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh and closer Joe Nathan improved to 10-for-10 in save opportunities. Houston’s 10-26 record is the worst in the majors and the Astros are only 6-14 at home.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Southwest (Texas), Comcast SportsNet Houston

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yu Darvish (5-1, 2.56 ERA) vs. Astros LH Erik Bedard (0-2, 7.36)

Darvish has won three straight decisions with his lone loss coming against the Seattle Mariners on April 12. In his last outing, he took a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox despite the 14 strikeouts in seven innings. He gave up three runs and four hits. Darvish is 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in two career outings against the Astros.

Bedard is making his sixth start and hasn’t lasted more than four innings in any of the previous five. His last appearance was a 3 1/3-inning relief stint against Detroit in which he allowed one run and two hits. Bedard has allowed eight homers in 22 innings. He earned the save with 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief in the season-opening game against Texas on March 31 and is 5-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 16 career appearances (15 starts) against the Rangers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Texas had 14 homers in 19 road games before clubbing three Friday.

2. Gonzalez had two hits in the opener and is 4-for-7 over the last two games.

3. Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre is 3-for-20 with a homer and five RBIs against Bedard.

PREDICTION: Rangers 6, Astros 1