Oakland @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 29, 2016 ) Oakland 0, Houston 6

The Houston Astros are surging at the right time and seek their ninth win in 11 games when they host the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday for the middle contest of their three-game set. The Astros rolled to a 6-0 victory in the series opener and sit two games behind Baltimore for the American League's second wild-card spot.

Houston's Jose Altuve has gone eight games without a multi-hit performance, but the AL batting leader went deep for the second straight contest on Monday. Altuve has hit 22 homers - equaling his total of the past two seasons combined - and his .354 average is 32 points better than second-place Mookie Betts of Boston. The Athletics won four of five games before being blanked on four hits by four Houston pitchers in the series opener. Oakland slugger Khris Davis has hit seven blasts in his last 16 games while setting career highs for homers (34) and RBIs (85).

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), ROOT (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Kendall Graveman (10-8, 3.97 ERA) vs. Astros RH Collin McHugh (8-10, 5.01)

Graveman is 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA over his last four starts and has won nine of his past 11 decisions. He defeated the Astros in back-to-back starts in July - giving up four earned runs in 15 innings - to improve to 3-1 with a 4.60 ERA in five career outings versus Houston. Graveman has issued two or fewer walks in each of his last nine turns and 14 of his last 15.

McHugh defeated Pittsburgh in his last start after going 0-4 over his previous five turns. He has worked six or more innings just twice in his last six starts, serving up eight homers during the stretch. McHugh is 4-1 with a 3.40 ERA in seven career starts against Oakland but has posted a 5.56 ERA in two no-decisions this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros 3B/DH Yulieski Gurriel played in the field for the first time on Monday and recorded two hits to improve to 7-for-18 in five games since joining the club.

2. Oakland activated DH Billy Butler from the seven-day concussion list and optioned INF/OF Arismendy Alcantara to Single-A Stockton.

3. Houston OF Colby Rasmus (ear) could return to the lineup Tuesday, less than three weeks since having a cyst surgically removed from his inner ear.

PREDICTION: Astros 5, Athletics 1