Houston @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 27, 2016 ) Houston 4, LA Angels 2

The surging Houston Astros resume their six-game road trip Tuesday, when they try for their seventh consecutive victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the middle contest of a three-game series. Houston prevailed 4-2 on Monday for its eighth triumph in nine contests and sits 10 games behind equally hot Texas in the American League West after improving to 23-9 in its last 32 games as its 17-28 start is all but forgotten.

The turnaround coincides with manager A.J. Hinch's decision to replace Jose Altuve with George Springer at the top of the order and while the latter's average only has improved from .254 to .261 since the switch, the former really has turned it on. After going 1-for-13 in his first three games not leading off, Altuve is hitting .411 to raise his AL-best average to .348 and set a career high by reaching base in 30 straight contests - the longest active streak in the majors - after going 2-for-5 on Monday. Los Angeles (32-47) has lost seven of its last eight games and already is assured of beginning a season with three consecutive losing months for the first time since 2006. The Angels' Tim Lincecum split his first two starts since returning to the major leagues and opposes Scott Feldman, who comes out of the bullpen to make his first start since April 25 as he replaces Lance McCullers (blister).

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Scott Feldman (4-3, 3.07 ERA) vs. Angels RH Tim Lincecum (1-1, 5.00)

Feldman is 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA in 16 relief appearances after going 0-2, 4.58 in four starts. "We are erring on the side of caution with the All-Star break being 10 or 12 days away and (with) the availability of Scott Feldman to come in and spot start, it's a very simple decision for us to push (McCullers) back," Hinch told reporters. Albert Pujols and Mike Trout are hitting a combined .244 in 41 at-bats versus Feldman, who is 6-9 with a 4.57 ERA in 29 games (18 starts) against Los Angeles after recording one scoreless inning in each of his two appearances this season.

Lincecum allowed four runs and seven hits (two home runs) in three innings of a 6-4 loss to Oakland on Thursday after defeating the Athletics on June 18 in his first major-league start since one year ago Monday. The 32-year-old Washington native, who is 5-0 with a 0.99 ERA in nine starts versus Houston but hasn't faced the Astros since 2012, said he still is making adjustments to his mechanics as he pitches with a surgically repaired left hip. The five Houston players who have faced Lincecum - Altuve, Jason Castro, Carlos Gomez, Colby Rasmus and Luis Valbuena - are a combined 6-for-39 with 15 strikeouts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros SS Carlos Correa, who was named AL Player of the Week on Monday after going 8-for-24 with three home runs, nine RBIs and four doubles, was 0-for-3 with a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the ninth inning Monday.

2. Trout (.319) has recorded multiple hits in five straight games - three in each of the last three - and is 13-for-22 with five RBIs during that stretch after going 3-for-5 and homering for the third consecutive contest Monday.

3. Houston had its 11-game home run streak halted Monday.

PREDICTION: Astros 3, Angels 2