Houston @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 30, 2015 ) LA Angels 0, Houston 3

Jered Weaver has won at least 10 games in each of his first nine big-league seasons but will need a dazzling finish to keep the streak going. The Los Angeles right-hander has six wins in 21 starts as the season winds down entering Friday's opener of a pivotal three-game series against the visiting Houston Astros.

Weaver missed seven-plus weeks with a hip injury that derailed his season and is 2-2 in six starts since returning from the disabled list and will be matched up against Houston ace Dallas Keuchel, the American League co-leader with 17 victories. The Angels are three games behind the Texas Rangers for the American League's second wild card and a distant 5 1/2 games behind AL West-leading Houston, which is 2 1/2 games ahead of the Rangers. The Astros hit four homers in Wednesday's 11-5 victory over Oakland to tie Toronto for the major-league lead with 192 homers and Marwin Gonzalez's 10th homer gives Houston 11 players in double digits to tie the record set by Detroit in 2004. The Angels avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday when Albert Pujols delivered the tiebreaking single in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 3-2 victory.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (17-6, 2.29 ERA) vs. Angels RH Jered Weaver (6-10, 4.78)

Keuchel is 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA over his past five starts and is becoming the frontrunner to claim AL Cy Young Award honors. He is 4-6 on the road - compared to 13-0 at home - with a 3.35 ERA in 12 outings. Keuchel is 6-1 with a 4.63 ERA in 10 career appearances (nine starts) against the Angels and has a 2.84 ERA while winning both his 2015 starts but struggles against third baseman David Freese (8-for-16, one homer).

Weaver is 4-2 with a 2.40 ERA and 0.80 WHIP in seven career starts against the Astros, including a 1-0 record and 1.20 ERA in two 2015 outings. He allowed one run and four hits in six innings while receiving a no-decision against Texas in his last turn after being touched up for 14 runs in 11 2/3 innings in his previous two starts. The 32-year-old Weaver has shut down outfielder Colby Rasmus (1-for-13) while having issues with second baseman Jose Altuve (7-for-23).

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros DH Evan Gattis went deep in Wednesday's game versus Oakland to halt an 11-game homerless drought.

2. Los Angeles CF Mike Trout was 1-for-11 with five strikeouts in the three-game series against the Dodgers.

3. Gonzalez is 8-for-16 over his past four games.

PREDICTION: Angels 8, Astros 6