Houston @ Texas preview
Globe Life Park in Arlington
Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2013 ) Houston 2, Texas 3
If the Texas Rangers manage to overtake Cleveland for the second wild card, the players may want to consider voting the Houston Astros a postseason share. The Rangers will look to complete a three-game sweep and beat the Astros for an 11th straight time in Wednesday night's series finale. Texas remains one game behind the Indians thanks mainly to their success against Houston - the Rangers are 16-2 in 18 meetings against their in-state rival.
Adrian Beltre picked an ideal time to end his longest homerless drought in four years, delivering the go-ahead run with his first blast since Aug. 28. The defeat was the 11th in a row for the stumbling Astros, who matched a dubious franchise record with 107 losses set last season. Houston's punchless offense has ground to a halt during the 11-game skid, managing a total of 16 runs and failing to score more than two in all but one contest.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, CSN (Houston), FSN Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (6-9, 4.99 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Martin Perez (9-5, 3.54)
Keuchel bounced back from a pair of rocky starts by limiting Cleveland to one run on seven hits over seven innings in his last turn. He had been tagged for 11 runs and 20 hits in only nine innings in his previous two outings. Keuchel has two victories since July 27 and he was hardly impressive in either one, giving up six runs and 10 hits in both wins.
Perez fell to 0-2 in his last three outings despite allowing only one run on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings in his last turn as Kansas City. The Rangers have scored six runs in the last three outings by Perez, who had won six consecutive starts before the current drought. He outdueled Keuchel on Aug. 11 with his only career complete game as the Rangers erupted for four runs in the ninth.
WALK-OFFS
1. Perez is only 2-3 in seven home starts although he has a solid 3.07 ERA.
2. Keuchel has surrendered 10 homers over 63 1/3 innings away from home.
3. Beltre leads the AL in hits and needs seven more to match his career-best total of 200 set in 2004.
PREDICTION: Rangers 5, Astros 2