Houston @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 28, 2019 ) Houston 6, LA Angels 3

The Houston Astros have accomplished their regular-season goals, so the attention shifts to helping one of their ace right-handers reach a personal one as they visit the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday for their final postseason tune-up. Gerrit Cole tries to join teammate Justin Verlander as a 20-game winner for American League West champion Houston, which wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs Saturday by notching its franchise-record 106th win.

“It’s one of the things I don’t have as much control over as I think I do, but I’m as proud of it as any stat I have,” Cole, who won 19 games with Pittsburgh in 2015, told reporters. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I think it would be really unique to have two guys win 40 games. ... I’m excited to shoot for it.” Cole, who hasn't lost since May 22, broke J.R. Richard's club record for strikeouts in a season in his last start and has registered a major league-most 316. Verlander recorded his 3,000th career strikeout and reached 300 in a season for the first time with 12 in Saturday's 6-3 victory - his 21st of the year. Los Angeles (72-89) completes an emotional campaign after the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs on July 1, while on the field, Albert Pujols exceeded 2,000 career RBIs and is within four home runs of Willie Mays (660) for fifth place on the all-time list while Mike Trout registered another MVP-type year before a toe injury ended his season on Sept. 7.

TV: 3:07 p.m. ET, AT&T Sportsnet-Southwest (Houston), FS West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Gerrit Cole (19-5, 2.52 ERA) vs. Angels LH Dillon Peters (4-3, 4.72)

Cole allowed two hits and registered 14 strikeouts in seven innings of Houston's 2-0 victory at Seattle on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Californian, who has fanned 10 or more batters in eight straight starts, has gone 15-0 with a 1.78 ERA and 216 strikeouts over 141 2/3 frames in his last 21 outings. Pujols is 1-for-9 with a home run and three strikeouts versus Cole, who yielded one run and fanned 20 over 14 innings in winning both starts against Los Angeles this season and is 5-1 with a 2.79 ERA in eight career turns versus the club.

Peters posted his first victory since Aug. 14 when he permitted two runs and five hits in five innings of a 3-2 victory over playoff-bound Oakland on Tuesday. The 27-year-old native of Indiana went 0-2 with a 6.84 ERA in his previous six starts. Peters lost in his only appearance against the Astros at Houston on Aug. 24, when he allowed five runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Houston has homered in a club-record 24 straight games - or every contest in September as it has belted a major league-most 55 this month.

2. Pujols has recorded more home runs (59) and RBIs (167) than any other player versus the Astros.

3. The last time a team boasted a pair of 20-game winners was in 2002, when Arizona (Randy Johnson, 24; Curt Schilling, 23) and Boston (Derek Lowe, 21; Pedro Martinez, 20) accomplished the feat.

PREDICTION: Astros 3, Angels 0