| Houston Astros (13-6 Darin Erstad Jersey , first in the AL West) vs. Texas Rangers (10-8, third in the AL West)Arlington, Texas; Saturday, 8 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Gerrit Cole (1-2, 3.24 ERA, .92 WHIP, 36 strikeouts) Rangers: Adrian Sampson (1-1, 5.93 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 9 strikeouts)LINE: Rangers favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 9 1/2 runsBOTTOM LINE: Either Houston or Texas will take home a series victory with a win.The Rangers are 7-6 against AL West opponents. Texas is averaging 5.1 RBIs per game this season. Joey Gallo leads the team with 16 total runs batted in.The Astros are 9-3 against the rest of their division. Houston leads the American League in hitting with a .271 batting average, Jose Altuve leads the team with an average of .316. The Astros won the last meeting 7-2. Justin Verlander recorded his third victory and Altuve went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs for Houston. Drew Smyly registered his second loss for Texas.TOP PERFORMERS: Gallo leads the Rangers with seven home runs and is slugging .649. Elvis Andrus has 13 hits and is batting .317 over the last 10 games for Texas.Altuve leads the Astros with eight home runs and is batting .316. Yuli Gurriel is 14-for-39 with six doubles, a triple, a home run and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for Houston.LAST 10 GAMES: Rangers: 5-5, .242 batting average http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , 5.36 ERA, outscored by two runsAstros: 9-1, .292 batting average, 3.34 ERA, outscored opponents by 26 runsRangers Injuries: Edinson Volquez: 60-day IL (elbow), Yohander Mendez: 60-day IL (elbow), Luke Farrell: 60-day IL (jaw), Scott Heineman: 60-day IL (shoulder), Rougned Odor: 10-day IL (knee), Ronald Guzman: 10-day IL (hamstring).Astros Injuries: Joe Smith: 10-day IL (achilles), Lance McCullers Jr.: 10-day IL (elbow). If Mike Trout is swinging a hot bat, then Shohei Ohtani is swinging something akin to burning lumber.Both stars will look to continue their success at the plate when the Los Angeles Angels go for a three-game sweep over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.Trout is coming off a tremendous performance in which he went 5-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs. The 27-year-old has 33 home runs on the year, matching his total from 2017, and is eight homers shy of his career high of 41 with 20 games to go in the season.Article continues below ...It seems unlikely that Trout will reach that mark Shohei Ohtani Jersey , but anything is possible when he goes on a hot streak.Ohtani has been even better the past few days. He learned Wednesday he needed Tommy John surgery to fix a torn ligament in his elbow that will prevent him from pitching in 2019. But he still is able to swing a bat without pain, and he has made every at-bat count since.In his past three games, the 24-year-old Ohtani is 7-for-12 with a triple, three home runs and nine RBIs. He has increased his season batting average to .290 with 19 homers and 53 RBIs in 255 at-bats.“When he got injured on one thing, he can do another,” Trout told reporters in Chicago. “It’s pretty amazing. He could easily shut the season down, but he wants to finish out strong, and he’s worked hard in the (batting) cage and just in general coming to the field.”Los Angeles (70-72) will wrap up a 10-game road trip. The Angels enter the series finale with a 6-3 record on the trip, but have struggled overall since the All-Star break with a 21-24 record.Chicago (56-86) has fallen into another rut after playing well over the past few weeks. The White Sox have lost four games in a row, including the last two since learning that prized pitcher Michael Kopech also needs Tommy John surgery and will miss all of the 2019 season.Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney (8-9, 4.16 ERA) will make his 27th start. He has struggled on the road this year, posting a 1-6 record and a 5.02 ERA, compared with a 7-3 record and 3.26 ERA at home. In two career starts against the White Sox, he is 0-0 with a 2.31 ERA.Chicago will counter with right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (5-9 Brandon Phillips Jersey , 4.37 ERA), who will make his 29th start. He is looking for his first win at home since June 26, when he topped the Minnesota Twins.Lopez has faced the Angels once, allowing four runs in six innings last season. He did not factor into the decision.The White Sox will conclude a 10-game homestand, during which they are 3-6, before heading on a nine-game, 11-day trip with series against the Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians.The White Sox remain without right-handed relief pitcher Nate Jones, who has been out since June 12 because of a strained muscle in his forearm. He has intensified his throwing regimen and could return before season’s end. He is 2-2 with a 2.25 ERA and four saves in 27 games.“Our hope is he will be back,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria told reporters. |
