Houston @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( May 21, 2015 ) Houston 5, Detroit 6

The Houston Astros entered Thursday with the best record away from home in the majors, although that distinction didn’t help them overcome their recent woes in Detroit. Houston hopes to end its first road losing streak of the season on Friday as it plays the second of a four-game set against the Tigers.

The Astros displayed the resilience in the opener that allowed them to win 12 of their first 16 outside of Houston as Preston Tucker's first career homer in the ninth inning tied the game and capped a five-run rally, but James McCann’s walk-off home run to begin the 11th – his second career blast – sent the American League West leaders to their third road setback in four tries. Despite its first extra-inning loss in four such affairs this season, Houston (27-15) kept pace with the 1998 Astros for the best 42-game start in team history. Nick Castellanos continued his mini-surge with a two-run shot and has driven in six of Detroit’s 11 runs over the last two days after the Tigers were limited to four total runs during a three-game skid. The extra-inning triumph was the team’s 10th win in its last 12 meetings with the Astros in Detroit.

TV: 7:08 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Collin McHugh (5-1, 4.09 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Alfredo Simon (4-2, 3.04)

McHugh won for the 12th time in 13 decisions by rebounding from a disastrous outing in a May 12 loss to San Francisco (season-high seven runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings), yielding two runs and striking out nine over seven frames in a 4-2 victory versus Toronto. The 27-year-old Indiana native is 2-0 with a 3.08 ERA in four road outings and has posted a 45:10 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 50 2/3 innings this season. Yoenis Cespedes (1-for-3) is the only Tiger hitter who has squared off against McHugh, who will face Detroit for the first time.

After winning each of his first four starts, Simon fell to 0-2 in four tries since after suffering a hard-luck loss at St. Louis on Sunday. The 2014 National League All-Star, who permitted two runs on seven hits and a season-high tying four walks in six frames, has posted a 4.70 ERA during his winless spell after recording a 1.65 ERA during his red-hot beginning to the season. Luis Valbuena (3-for-13 with a homer) easily has the most experience against Simon, who is 1-0, 1.93 in four all-time relief appearances versus Houston.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera became the fifth-youngest player in major-league history (and 76th overall) to collect 1,400 career RBIs with an RBI single on Thursday.

2. Houston scored all five of its runs after the sixth inning in the opener and leads the majors with 78 runs in the seventh inning or later this season.

3. The Astros on Thursday lost for the first time in 25 games when scoring at least four runs.

PREDICTION: Astros 5, Tigers 3