Houston @ San Francisco preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 6, 2018 ) Houston 3, San Francisco 1

The Houston Astros placed yet another All-Star on the disabled list Monday but still managed to win for the fifth time in six games. The injury-plagued Astros conclude their brief two-game interleague series against the host San Francisco Giants on Tuesday without three top hitters - including George Springer, who will miss the next two weeks with a sprained left thumb.

Marwin Gonzalez belted a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning in Monday’s 3-1 victory as the Astros improved to a major league-best 40-18 on the road. Tony Kemp replaced Springer in the leadoff spot and doubled in three at-bats while Charlie Morton tossed seven strong innings and Roberto Osuna notched the win with a scoreless frame in his team debut. San Francisco closer Will Smith entered Monday’s contest with a 1.23 ERA over his last 14 appearances but allowed his first home run of the season - Gonzalez’s 371-foot blast. Brandon Crawford belted a solo homer for the Giants, who are six games out of the second National League wild-card spot after falling back to .500 at 57-57.

TV: 3:45 p.m. ET, MLB Network, AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (9-9, 3.61 ERA) vs. Giants LH Madison Bumgarner (4-4, 2.97)

Keuchel improved to 5-1 with a 2.04 ERA in his last six starts with a strong outing on Wednesday, when he allowed three runs over seven frames in an 8-3 win over Seattle. The 30-year-old native of Oklahoma has posted a 4.16 ERA in 11 starts at Minute Maid Park compared to a 3.12 mark in 12 outings on the road. Evan Longoria is 5-for-21 with six strikeouts against Keuchel, who is facing the Giants for the first time since his rookie season in 2012.

Bumgarner allowed one run and seven hits over five innings and stranded nine baserunners in Thursday’s 8-1 win over Arizona. The four-time All-Star has lasted longer than six innings only three times in 11 starts, registering 56 strikeouts against 27 walks over 66 2/3 frames. Bumgarner owns a 4-1 record and 2.45 ERA in five career starts versus the Astros, including a 4-0 mark and 1.20 ERA in his last four outings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros SS Carlos Correa (back) will continue his rehab assignment with Double-A Corpus Christi on Tuesday and could be activated as soon as Thursday.

2. San Francisco 2B Joe Panik is mired in a 3-for-32 slump.

3. The Astros recalled OF Derek Fisher from Triple-A Fresno to replace Springer.

PREDICTION: Astros 6, Giants 3