Astros at Rockies
The Houston Astros are starting to feel better about themselves, and a trip to Coors Field has kept them in good spirits as they try for a two-game interleague sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. Houston has won four straight following a 2-9 stretch after Tuesday's 9-8 victory was powered by Yuri Gurriel, Jose Altuve and George Springer, who combined for 10 of the club's 13 hits and scored seven runs.
Gurriel went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs, and is 12-for-29 with five blasts and nine RBIs in his last seven games - although he struck out for the first time in 42 at-bats in his final plate appearance on Tuesday. Altuve is 18-for-53 in 12 games since missing 35 with a hamstring injury after matching a career high with four hits while Springer is 10-for-29 in seven contests after sitting out 27 because of the same ailment. Colorado has been outscored 105-104 while splitting its last 12 games at home and is 14-14 over its last 28 contests. Rockies rookie Peter Lambert takes the mound Wednesday owning a 9.95 ERA in three starts at Coors Field as he opposes Wade Miley, who is winless in his last four road turns.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston), AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros LH Wade Miley (6-4, 3.39 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Peter Lambert (2-0, 6.57)
Miley settled for his second consecutive no-decision after allowing one run and three hits in six innings of a 2-1 victory over Seattle on Friday. The 32-year-old native of Louisiana is 2-3 with a 4.94 ERA in nine road starts this season - 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA in four outings since winning in Detroit on May 14. Nolan Arenado is 5-for-13 with four walks versus Miley, who is 7-2 with a 3.89 ERA in 14 career games (13 starts) versus the Rockies - 3-1, 4.76 in five outings (four starts) at Coors Field.
Lambert hasn't factored in the decision in any of his last three starts, including Colorado's 12-8 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday in which he yielded five runs and nine hits (four home runs) over 4 2/3 innings. The 22-year-old Californian has posted an 11.37 ERA in his last three starts since beginning his career with a pair of victories over the Chicago Cubs. Lambert, who was taken in the second round of the 2015 draft, is 6-for-10 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored.
WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado's rotation has posted a 3.51 ERA over the last 14 turns, lowering its National League-worst starters' ERA to 5.46 - better than only Baltimore (5.49).
2. Houston rookie OF Yordan Alvarez (.317, seven home runs, 21 RBIs in 16 games) did not play Tuesday for the third time in four contests because of a knee injury.
3. Rockies RF Charlie Blackmon, who turned 33 on Monday after hitting .412 with 10 home runs, 25 RBIs and 30 runs scored in 97 at-bats last month, has reached base in all 31 of his 2019 home games.