Los Angeles @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 22, 2018 ) LA Angels 5, Houston 10

The Houston Astros are inching closer to clinching the American League West and putting on an offensive show of late. The Astros will try to take advantage of the stumbling Los Angeles Angels and pull off the series sweep when they host the finale of a three-game set on Sunday.

Houston cut its magic number to clinch the division to five by rallying for nine runs in the eighth inning to earn a 10-5 victory over on Saturday. The Astros (97-57), who set a season high for runs in an inning with the go-ahead outburst, remain mathematically alive for the best record in the AL and the top seed in the playoffs while sitting 3 1/2 games ahead of the Oakland Athletics in the West. The Angels are not heading to the playoffs or finishing strong while being outscored 52-11 during a four-game slide. Left-hander Tyler Skaggs will try to turn that terrible pitching trend around when he takes the mound on Sunday opposite veteran Astros right-hander Charlie Morton.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), AT&T SportsNet - Southwest (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (8-8, 3.69 ERA) vs. Astros RH Charlie Morton (15-3, 3.15)

Skaggs is making his second start since a month-plus stint on the disabled list and struck out three in three hitless innings at Oakland on Tuesday. The 27-year-old, who was out with a groin strain, is trying to finish off a solid season that saw him carry a 2.62 ERA into late July. Skaggs fired off a pair of quality starts against the Astros already this season, including seven scoreless innings in a win at Houston on April 23.

Morton went a week or more between each of his last three starts and is taking the mound for the first time since posting a quality start against Arizona on Sept. 15. The New Jersey native, who dealt with some shoulder discomfort last month, scattered two runs and three hits across six innings versus the Diamondbacks to reach a career high with his 15th win. Morton is seeing the Angels for the first time since April 24, when he was reached for four runs on five hits and five walks in four innings without factoring in the decision.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros SS Carlos Correa (back) has missed the first two games of the series and is not expected to play on Sunday.

2. Angels 1B Jose Fernandez left Saturday's game with a bruised hand after being hit by a pitch and is day-to-day.

3. Houston RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) rejoined the team on Saturday and could pitch as soon as Monday.

PREDICTION: Astros 4, Angels 3