Detroit @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 28, 2014 ) Detroit 4, Houston 3

Ian Kinsler is enjoying a spectacular road trip and can lead the Detroit Tigers to their third straight series win in Sunday's rubber match of a three-game set against the host Houston Astros. Kinsler has his safely in all eight games on the trek and his three-run homer in the ninth inning was the decisive blow in Detroit's 4-3 victory Saturday. It was the seventh consecutive multiple-hit game for Kinsler, who is 17-for-36 with three homers and 10 RBIs on the trip.

Kinsler has 33 multi-hit games on the season, second only in the majors to Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who is on a white-hot tear of his own. Altuve collected two more hits Saturday and is 23-for-46 over his last 11 games, a span in which he has collected at least two hits on eight occasions. Altuve leads the major leagues with 113 hits and his American League-best .343 batting average is second to Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (.348).

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, CSN Houston

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Drew Smyly (4-6, 3.19 ERA) vs. Astros RH Scott Feldman (3-5, 4.00)

Smyly appears to have turned a corner since getting roughed up in back-to-back defeats at the end of May, going 2-2 over his last four turns while permitting a total of four runs. The 25-year-old Arkansas native won at Texas on Tuesday, limited the Rangers to an unearned run and five hits over six innings. Smyly took the loss in his only career start against Houston, giving up three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings May 8.

Feldman has won only once in nine starts since returning from a three-week stint on the disabled list and has not gone beyond 6 1/3 innings in that stretch. He gave up three runs and a pair of homers in six innings to take the loss against Atlanta last time out and extend his winless drought to five starts. The Tigers have been a nemesis for Feldman, who is 0-3 with a bloated 8.13 ERA in 11 appearances (five starts) against them.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera is hitless in nine at-bats in the series but is 9-for-13 with a pair of homers against Feldman.

2. Astros CF Dexter Fowler has missed the last two games due to back tightness, but replacement Alex Presley is 3-for-8 with a homer.

3. Detroit is 7-1 on the road trip and has won 10 of 13 meetings with Houston since the Astros joined the American League.

PREDICTION: Tigers 6, Astros 3