Milwaukee @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Aug 11, 2012 ) Milwaukee 5, Houston 6
At this rate, the Houston Astros might want to make their throwback uniforms permanent. After back-to-back walk-off wins while wearing jerseys from the 1990s, the Astros plan to petition the league for permission to wear the retro duds again as they go for a three-game sweep of the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Houston picked up its first walk-off win of the season in the series opener and made it two in a row by claiming its first extra-inning victory of the year Saturday.
The Astros have won back-to-back games for the firs time since June 26-27, and now they're after their first series sweep since taking three straight from the Chicago Cubs from May 21-23. The worst team in the majors at 38-77, Houston had lost five straight and 35 of 39 entering the series. The Brewers' bullpen woes have continued as their road losing streak has hit 11 games. John Axford blew a save Friday, and Jim Henderson, next in line to close, took the loss Saturday.
TV: 2:05 p.m. ET, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FS Houston
PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers RH Yovani Gallardo (10-8, 3.79 ERA) vs. Astros RH Jordan Lyles (2-8, 5.69)
Gallardo has put together two straight strong outings, allowing one run over seven innings in consecutive wins. He struck out four, walked three and allowed six hits in a 6-3 victory over Cincinnati on Monday. Gallardo beat Houston twice last month, allowing two runs over 13 innings to improve to 12-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 14 starts against the Astros.
The 21-year-old Lyles is winless in seven starts since June 26, but he turned in one of his best outings of the year Tuesday against Washington, allowing two runs on three hits over seven innings in a no-decision. Lyles has faced mixed results in two starts against the Brewers this season; he held them to two runs over seven innings in a no-decision July 8 but was shelled for nine runs (seven earned) in five innings in a loss Aug. 1.
WALK-OFFS
1. Brewers OF Norichika Aoki is riding a 12-game hit streak, three games shy of the longest streak of his rookie season.
2. Astros OF Steve Pearce has a seven-game hit streak and has hit safely in nine of 11 games since Houston acquired him from Baltimore. Pearce is 1-for-10 against Gallardo.
3. The Brewers have 22 losses in the opponent's last at-bat, including nine walk-off losses.