Athletics at Astros
The Oakland Athletics hope Sean Manaea can duplicate his previous performance as the team looks to remain hot when it visits the Houston Astros on Friday for the opener of their three-game series. Manaea tossed a no-hitter against Boston in his last outing for Oakland, which has won eight of its last 10 contests but is coming off a 4-2 loss at Texas on Wednesday that dropped it to 2-1 on its nine-game road trip.
The Athletics squandered a 2-0 lead that was provided by Khris Davis, who belted his seventh homer of the season to give him eight RBIs in his last four games. Houston salvaged the finale of its three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels, winning 5-2 on Wednesday for its seventh victory in nine contests. Alex Bregman delivered a three-run double while Jose Altuve and Jake Marisnick homered for the Astros, who had lost four straight at home. Altuve, who has won the batting title in the American League three of the last four seasons, has been held without a hit in just four of his 26 games this year.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Sean Manaea (3-2, 1.23 ERA) vs. Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (1-3, 3.10)
Manaea can't perform much better than he did last time out, when he recorded 10 strikeouts and issued two walks against the Red Sox on Saturday. The 26-year-old native of Indiana has allowed two runs and five hits over 24 innings in his three victories this season and has given up more than four hits just once in his five overall outings. Manaea has posted an impressive 2.45 ERA in his eight career starts against Houston but owns just a 1-3 record.
Keuchel's record is deceiving, as he has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his five starts. The 30-year-old former Cy Young Award winner is coming off his first win, a triumph over the White Sox in Chicago on Saturday in which he gave up one run and four hits over six innings. Keuchel is 5-4 with one complete game and a 2.59 ERA in 16 starts and two relief appearances against the Athletics.
WALK-OFFS
1. Athletics SS Marcus Semien is riding a five-game hitting streak that has featured four two-hit performances.
2. Houston SS Carlos Correa has gone 16-for-35 during his 10-game hitting streak.
3. Oakland optioned Kendall Graveman and Chris Bassitt to Triple-A Nashville and activated fellow RHP Wilmer Font, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.