Houston @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2016 ) Houston 2, Oakland 1

The Houston Astros look to continue their climb toward a postseason berth and complete a three-game sweep when they visit the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday afternoon for the finale of their series. Houston has won five of its last six games, including a 2-1 triumph in 10 innings Tuesday, to climb within two games of Baltimore for the second wild-card spot in the American League.

Rookie Tony Kemp played a big role in the victory, plating the tying run with a double in the seventh inning and scoring the winner on George Springer's single in the 10th. Jose Altuve singled in the eighth inning to become the first player to record three straight 200-hit seasons since Ichiro Suzuki (2001-10) and join Charlie Gehringer and Rogers Hornsby as the only second basemen in major league history to accomplish the feat. The loss was the fifth in a row at home for Oakland, which played the game under protest after manager Bob Melvin disagreed with the result of a replay review. Reigning AL Co-Player of the Week Khris Davis, who is fourth in the majors with 40 homers and one RBI shy of 100, sat out Tuesday's contest because of a stomach ailment.

TV: 3:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, ROOT (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Collin McHugh (11-10, 4.66 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Daniel Mengden (2-7, 5.68)

McHugh extended his unbeaten streak to six starts Friday with a victory at Seattle in which he allowed just two hits over seven scoreless innings. The 29-year-old native of Illinois has not lost since Aug. 13, when his slide reached four outings after yielding three runs in 5 1/3 frames at Toronto. McHugh improved to 5-1 in eight career starts against Oakland — and 1-0 in three turns this year — on Aug. 30 as he scattered four hits over six scoreless innings.

Mengden is coming off the best outing of his brief time in the major leagues, a victory at Kansas City on Thursday in which he scattered three hits over a career-high seven innings. The triumph halted the 23-year-old native of Houston's seven-start winless streak during which he suffered four losses and yielded four or more runs on five occasions. Mengden escaped with a no-decision at Houston on July 8 after surrendering six runs in 4 2/3 frames and lost to the Astros at home 12 days later, when he gave up three runs over five innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Athletics rookie 3B Ryon Healy went 0-for-4 on Tuesday, ending his hitting streak at 10 games.

2. Houston C Evan Gattis has hit safely in nine of his last 12 contests, recording four home runs and five RBIs in that span.

3. Oakland SS Marcus Semien is 7-for-15 with three doubles and a homer against McHugh, who is 10-0 in 12 September starts going back to 2014.

PREDICTION: Astros 6, Athletics 2