Houston @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Jun 1, 2014 ) Baltimore 9, Houston 4
Two of the American League's top left-handers square off Monday when Baltimore's Wei-Yin Chen and Houston's Dallas Keuchel take the mound to open a three-game series at Camden Yards. Keuchel aims to continue the best start by an Astros starter since Roger Clemens won his first nine decisions in 2004 while Chen looks for his first win in five home starts this season.
Houston has won nine of its last 12 after the Astros rallied for a 10-8 win at Detroit on Sunday to split a four-game set with the Tigers. The Astros banged out 13 hits and hope to keep the offense going after riding a strong pitching staff to the top of the AL West. The Orioles begin an eight-game homestand after dropping two of three at Miami over the weekend. Baltimore has slipped three games below .500 but is still only three games back in the crowded AL East.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (6-0, 1.67 ERA) vs. Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (1-3, 2.90)
Keuchel allowed only one unearned run over seven innings while beating Oakland last time out to win his third straight start and his eighth consecutive decision dating to last season. The 27-year-old has gone at least six innings in all nine of his starts this season and has yielded more than one run only three times. Keuchel is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two career starts against the Orioles.
Chen has been a victim of bad luck in 2015, as he has only one win despite five quality starts. The 29-year-old from Taiwan has lost his last two starts despite going seven innings in each, allowing four runs Wednesday against Seattle after giving up only two in his previous outing versus the Los Angeles Angels. Chen is 3-0 with a 2.75 ERA in three starts against the Astros.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles 3B Manny Machado is 10-for-30 during a seven-game hitting streak and is 2-for-6 versus Keuchel.
2. Astros 2B Jose Altuve, who received a "mental day" from manager A.J. Hinch on Sunday, is 4-for-10 versus Chen.
3. Baltimore 2B/DH Jimmy Paredes went 0-for-3 Sunday to snap a seven-game hitting streak but is batting .362 over his past 14 contests.
PREDICTION: Astros 4, Orioles 2