Baltimore @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( May 31, 2014 ) Baltimore 4, Houston 1

Houston Astros phenom George Springer captivated the baseball community with a strong run during his team’s seven-game winning streak but is back to battling some rookie inconsistency. Springer will try to bust out of an 0-for-8 slump and help the Astros to a series win when they host the Baltimore Orioles in the finale of a four-game set on Sunday. Houston took the first two in the series but dropped a 4-1 decision while managing only five hits on Saturday.

Springer’s slide turned the spotlight back onto Orioles slugger Nelson Cruz, who continued making the teams that passed on him in free agency over the winter look foolish with his league-leading 20th home run on Saturday. Cruz accounted for three of Baltimore’s four RBIs in the win and is one of the few sources of consistent offense on the team at the moment as the Orioles totaled six runs in the first three games of the series. Houston had its seven-game winning streak snapped in Saturday’s loss but got another solid starting pitching performance and has surrendered an average of two runs in the last eight contests.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN2 (Baltimore), CSN Houston

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (5-2, 4.50 ERA) vs. Astros RH Scott Feldman (3-2, 3.02)

Chen has been reached for five earned runs in each of his last two turns but was able to escape the loss in each thanks to the Baltimore offense. The Taiwan native did not walk a batter in either of those two starts but surrendered a total of four home runs. Chen enjoyed one of his best starts of the season against Houston on May 9, allowing two runs and five hits in seven innings to pick up the win.

Feldman spent the last half of the 2013 campaign with the Orioles before signing with the Astros in the offseason and is providing a veteran presence in the rotation for Houston. The 31-year-old snapped a five-start winless streak last time out by holding the Kansas City Royals to two runs and eight hits over six innings. Feldman went up against Chen on May 9 and did not factor in the decision, yielding two runs in six frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cruz has hit safely in 12 straight games and has eight home runs and 15 RBIs in that span.

2. Springer owns three strikeouts in the last two games after hitting safely in 11 straight.

3. Baltimore RHP Tommy Hunter (groin) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session at Double-A Bowie on Sunday before appearing in rehab games.

PREDICTION: Orioles 6, Astros 5