White Sox at Astros
The Houston Astros hope for yet another masterful pitching performance when they continue their 10-game homestand with the third contest of their four-game set against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday. Brad Peacock and four relievers combined on a six-hit shutout in the series opener and Justin Verlander flirted with a no-hitter in Tuesday's 5-1 triumph.
A former American League Cy Young Award and MVP winner, Verlander held Chicago hitless for 6 1/3 innings and registered a season-high 12 strikeouts in eight innings to help lead Houston to its seventh straight home victory and 15th in 17 overall contests. Michael Brantley, who highlighted a four-run fifth inning with a two-run double, has gone 6-for-17 over his last four games while Carlos Correa has recorded at least one RBI in four consecutive contests and eight over his last seven games. Jose Abreu notched Chicago's lone hit on Tuesday, breaking up Verlander's no-hit bid with his 11th home run. The 32-year-old Cuban has hit safely in four straight contests and 23 of his last 29.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Ivan Nova (2-4, 7.42 ERA) vs. Astros RH Gerrit Cole (4-4, 3.56)
Nova went 0-3 over his first six starts, surrendering at least five runs on four occasions while giving up one in each of the other two outings. The 32-year-old Dominican appeared to be turning things around, posting back-to-back road wins while allowing one run in each, before being tagged for nine runs - eight earned - on eight hits (three homers) and four walks over three innings in a loss to Toronto on Friday. Nova is 2-1 with one complete game and a 3.97 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance against Houston in his career.
Cole has been superb of late, producing two scoreless outings and one in which he yielded a single run over his last four starts. The 28-year-old Californian, who leads the league with 93 strikeouts, won his first three turns during that stretch but settled for a no-decision at Boston on Friday as he scattered six hits over five scoreless frames but needed 99 pitches to do so. Cole won his only career start against Chicago on June 18, 2015, when he gave up two runs and three hits in seven innings while with Pittsburgh.
WALK-OFFS
1. Astros OF George Springer has missed three straight games due to tightness in his lower back.
2. Chicago has lost five of its last seven contests, getting outscored 32-5 in the setbacks.
3. Houston placed Collin McHugh (elbow) on the 10-day injured list and recalled fellow RHP Brady Rodgers from Triple-A Round Rock.