Houston @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( May 20, 2015 ) Oakland 1, Houston 6

The first-place Houston Astros continue their nine-game road trip with the first of four contests against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday. Houston won 11 of its first 15 contests following the All-Star break, but was swept in three games by American League West rival Texas to see its division lead shrink to two over the Los Angeles Angels as newly acquired Scott Kazmir on Thursday could not prevent the Astros from falling to 2-13 in their last 15 road contests with a 4-3 loss.

Houston leadoff hitter and defending AL batting champion Jose Altuve is 6-for-35 over the last eight games while rookie phenom Carlos Correa was 1-for-12 against the Rangers. The Astros (60-49) lead the season series 6-3, including a three-game sweep in Oakland in April, which ignited a 10-game winning streak. The Athletics (48-61) fell to 3-4 on their season-long 11-game homestand and are batting .178 with 19 runs scored during that stretch after a 7-3 loss to Baltimore in 10 innings Wednesday. Houston's Scott Feldman is winless in three starts after missing time with a knee injury and opposes Aaron Brooks, who is coming off his first major league victory in his Oakland debut.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Houston), CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Scott Feldman (4-5, 4.58 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Aaron Brooks (1-0, 3.09)

Feldman earned his second straight no-decision after permitting three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 6-4 loss to Arizona on Friday and is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA since returning from the disabled list. The 32-year-old Hawaii native allowed one run in 7 2/3 frames of a 2-1 loss at Kansas City on July 25. Josh Reddick is 7-for-23 with three home runs and two doubles against Feldman, who is 6-9 with a 5.75 ERA in 28 games (19 starts) - 1-1, 7.72 in two turns this season - versus Oakland.


Brooks yielded one run, five hits and struck out five in 7 1/3 innings of a 5-1 victory over Cleveland on Saturday in his second career start. The 25-year-old Californian, a ninth-round pick by Kansas City in 2011, came to Oakland in the Ben Zobrist trade July 28. Brooks yielded three runs over 4 1/3 innings in two relief appearances for the Royals in May and June, and was 6-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 18 games (17 starts) with Triple-A Omaha this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Brooks allowed seven runs, five hits and three walks in two-thirds of an inning in his first career start - a 12-2 loss in Toronto on May 31, 2014.

2. Oakland OFs Coco Crisp (neck) and Reddick (back) did not start Wednesday, but grounded out and walked, respectively, as pinch hitters.

3. The Astros were 44-65 through 109 contests last season and trailed first-place Oakland by 23 games.

PREDICTION: Astros 3, Athletics 2