Oakland @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 25, 2014 ) Oakland 12, Houston 5

The Oakland Athletics hope to pick up where they left off Saturday when they visit the Houston Astros for the third game of their four-game series. The Athletics scored seven runs in the ninth inning Friday night to break a 5-5 tie and cruise to a 12-5 victory. Oakland improved to 9-2 on the road, its best start since 1990.

The Athletics have won all five meetings against the Astros this season by a combined score of 41-13 and frustration seems to have settled in as Houston twice hit Brandon Moss with a pitch during the seven-run ninth. The player who seems to be giving Houston the most fits is shortstop Jed Lowrie, who is 5-for-9 in the series and 8-for-22 overall this season against the Astros. Houston is showing a lot of patience with right fielder George Springer, but he struck out three more times Friday night and committed one of the club's three errors.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), CSN Houston

PITCHING MATCHUPS: Athletics RH Dan Straily (1-1, 5.40 ERA) vs. Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (2-1, 3.38)

Straily has an interesting streak of 38 consecutive starts in which he’s gone at least three innings and allowed eight hits or fewer, something no pitcher has done in the organization since at least 1914. That doesn’t mean he has been dominant, as he only went 3 2/3 innings last week against the Los Angeles Angels and gave up six runs and seven hits in a game the Athletics won in 11 innings, 10-9. He was better in his most recent start Monday against the Texas Rangers, surrendering three runs and six hits in five innings in a 4-3 loss.

Keuchel comes in on a roll after winning two of his last three starts and deserving to win the other. He has 19 strikeouts and just four walks in that span, allowing five earned runs over 19 innings to cut his ERA in half. Keuchel made three starts against Oakland last season and his most recent was his worst, giving up five runs and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings of the 7-5 loss in Oakland last September.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Athletics have posted a winning record every month during the season dating back to June 2012.

2. Oakland is 25-5 all time against the Astros.

3. The Astros have committed eight errors in the series after committing seven the first 22 games.

PREDICTION: Athletics 8, Astros 2