Houston @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Aug 20, 2016 ) Houston 12, Baltimore 2
Alex Bregman needed 10 games to get acclimated to the majors before setting the league on fire. The 22-year-old New Mexico native looks to continue his torrid streak on Sunday afternoon as the Houston Astros attempt to secure a series victory in the four-game set versus the host Baltimore Orioles.
Bregman has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 contests, highlighted by an 11-for-24 stretch with three homers and nine RBIs during his five-game hitting streak. Bregman and George Springer each belted two-run shots in Saturday's 12-2 rout, with the latter improving to 8-for-13 with two homers, four RBIs and six runs scored in the series. While the Astros have answered a five-game skid with back-to-back victories to move within 4 1/2 games of the Orioles for the second wild-card spot in the American League, Baltimore has dropped four of five to fall 2 1/2 games behind Toronto in the East. Chris Davis continued his homer parade with his fifth blast in his last four games, but is just 2-for-9 versus Sunday starter Dallas Keuchel.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), MASN2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (7-12, 4.76 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Yovani Gallardo (4-4, 5.18)
Keuchel fell to 1-3 in his last four starts as he followed up a three-hit shutout versus Texas on Aug. 5 with a clunker against St. Louis on Tuesday. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner allowed six runs on as many hits in five innings of an 8-5 setback to the Cardinals. The road hasn't been kind to Keuchel, who is 4-7 with a 5.74 ERA and 1.51 WHIP away from Minute Maid Park this season.
Gallardo recorded a pair of strong outings to begin August before issuing five walks and a three-run homer over five innings in a no-decision versus Boston on Tuesday. The 30-year-old has been taken deep in five of his last six trips to the mound and permitted 46 walks in 83 1/3 innings this season, but a meeting with a familiar foe could get Gallardo back on track. He owns an impressive 15-4 mark in 21 career starts against Houston, highlighted by 115 strikeouts in 133 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Baltimore RF Mark Trumbo homered in the each of the first two games of the series and is 6-for-13 with three blasts and seven RBIs versus Keuchel.
2. Houston 2B Jose Altuve, who is riding a five-game hitting streak, is 32-for-77 with 19 RBIs and 12 runs scored in August.
3. The Orioles have launched 13 homers in the series.
PREDICTION: Orioles 5, Astros 4