Cleveland @ Houston preview
Minute Maid Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 16, 2014 ) Cleveland 4, Houston 2
With the franchise single-season hits record under his belt, Jose Altuve has shown no signs of slowing down heading into the Houston Astros' third contest of the four-game series versus the visiting Cleveland Indians on Wednesday. Altuve collected three hits in the opener before adding two more to surpass Craig Biggio's club mark of 210 in Tuesday's 4-2 setback. The diminutive Altuve has come up big with six straight multi-hit games to increase his total to a franchise-best 64 this season.
While Houston has been out of the postseason race for quite some time, Cleveland is clinging to its faint hopes - although it trails Kansas City by five games for the American League's second wild card with 12 to play. Yan Gomes belted a two-run homer and Michael Brantley had a single to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Brantley is 12-for-26 with five RBIs and four runs scored during that stretch.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), CSN Houston
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (7-5, 2.86 ERA) vs. Astros LH Brett Oberholtzer (5-11, 4.51)
Carrasco suffered his first loss since July 25 after allowing four runs in 6 1/3 innings in a 7-2 setback to Detroit on Friday. The 27-year-old Venezuelan permitted a two-run homer to J.D. Martinez marking just the third time he's been taken deep in his last eight trips to the mound. Carrasco settled for a no-decision in his last outing versus Houston despite yielding one run on two hits in six innings on Aug. 22.
Oberholtzer was saddled with his fourth loss in five decisions after allowing six runs in 4 1/3 innings en route to an 11-3 setback to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. The 25-year-old fell to 0-2 in his career versus Cleveland after permitting three runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 frames on Aug. 24. Oberholtzer has yielded 23 runs and 38 hits in his last five trips to the mound.
WALK-OFFS
1. Gomes is 8-for-27 with two homers and seven RBIs in his last seven contests.
2. Astros DH Chris Carter has hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, but is 0-for-2 in his career versus Carrasco.
3. Indians OF Ryan Raburn will have an MRI on his left knee in Cleveland on Wednesday.
PREDICTION: Indians 4, Astros 3