Baltimore @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 3, 2015 ) Baltimore 1, Houston 3

The Houston Astros stumbled a bit at the end of May but are rebounding quite nicely at the start of June by picking on the Baltimore Orioles. The Astros will try to polish off a four-game sweep when they host the Orioles in the series finale on Thursday afternoon.

Houston lost six of 10 to finish out last month, including two of three at Baltimore, but is combining quick-strike offense with solid starting pitching in a 3-0 June. The Astros got big hits from Evan Gattis during key rallies in each of the first two games of the series before Chris Carter stepped up with a pair of solo home runs and George Springer added another in Wednesday’s 3-1 triumph. The Orioles are losers of five straight overall and dropped to 6-16 on the road with Wednesday’s loss. Avoiding a four-game sweep will be a tough task with Houston ace Dallas Keuchel set to take the mound on Thursday.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), ROOT Southwest (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles LH Wei-Yin Chen (1-4, 3.21 ERA) vs. Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (7-1, 1.76)

Chen is 0-3 in his last four starts and absorbed a loss against Tampa Bay on Saturday despite scattering three runs and six hits across seven innings. The lone no-decision in that span came against Houston on May 25, when the Taiwan native surrendered three runs and 11 hits in five frames. Chen has never lost to the Astros, posting a 3-0 record with a 3.28 ERA in four starts.

Keuchel bounced back from his first loss of the season by striking out 11 without walking a batter in a shutout of the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. The 27-year-old’s lone loss came opposite Chen at Baltimore on May 25, when he was charged with a season high-tying four runs allowed in eight innings. Keuchel yielded two-run homers to Caleb Joseph and Steve Pearce in that loss.

WALK-OFFS

1. Orioles SS J.J. Hardy has missed three straight games but will test his injured oblique in batting practice on Thursday.

2. Houston CF Colby Rasmus (illness) sat out Tuesday and was limited to late-inning defensive work on Wednesday.

3. Baltimore DH Jimmy Paredes is 2-for-28 with 16 strikeouts over his last eight games to drop his batting average from .353 to .305.

PREDICTION: Astros 4, Orioles 1