Houston @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 16, 2015 ) Colorado 5, Houston 8

The Houston Astros take their powerful offense on the road to hitter-friendly Coors Field and try for their fourth straight victory when they resume their four-game series with the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Houston swept the first two contests at home, including an 8-5 victory Tuesday which featured Luis Valbuena hitting two of the Astros' three home runs as they improved to 25-0 this season when hitting more than one homer and increased their major league-leading long ball total to 91.

Valbuena is batting .188, but he's hit three of his team-leading 16 home runs in the last three games for first-place Houston, which begins an eight-game road trip Wednesday that culminates with three apiece against American League West rivals Seattle and the Los Angeles Angels. All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve on Tuesday returned to the lineup after missing three games because of a hamstring injury, bolstering an attack that has scored 38 runs in winning four of its last five contests. The Rockies, who are last in the NL West, got to within three games of .500 before losing six of their last seven games, and will try to improve on their 13-18 mark at home - second-worst in the NL to Milwaukee. Houston's Brett Oberholtzer appears to have gotten over the blister on his left index finger which landed him on the disabled list twice this season and opposes Kyle Kendrick, who is coming off back-to-back quality starts.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston, Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Brett Oberholtzer (1-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Kyle Kendrick (2-8, 5.87)

Oberholtzer yielded three hits and two walks while striking out five in eight innings of a 10-0 victory over Seattle on Friday in his fourth start of the season. The 25-year-old Delaware native made his season debut May 13, but lasted only three innings as the blister re-emerged and sent him back to the disabled list. Oberholtzer, who has never faced Colorado, returned June 1 and permitted four earned runs in 17 innings over three starts.

Kendrick has recorded only five quality starts among his 13 turns this season, but two have come in his last two outings - both against the Marlins. The 30-year-old Texan, who was acquired via free agency during the offseason, permitted two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 5-1 loss at Miami on Friday after yielding two runs and five hits in seven frames and receiving a no-decision in a 3-2 loss at Coors Field on June 7. Colby Rasmus is 6-for-13 - a home run and five doubles - against Kendrick, who is 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA in seven games (five starts) versus Houston.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros rookie SS Carlos Correa (.324, two home runs, four RBIs in his first eight games) is 5-for-9 in the first two games of the series.

2. Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez (.242, eight home runs, 22 RBIs) is 3-for-20 with two home runs and three RBIs in his last five contests after raising his average 36 points with a season-high eight-game hitting streak.

3. Houston, which owns the best record in the AL at 38-28, didn't win its 38th contest last season until July 8 - its 92nd game.

PREDICTION: Astros 6, Rockies 5