Listen Live: Baltimore at Houston [Live Audio] MLB
Where: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
Evan Gattis has been enjoying a power surge since returning to the major leagues, and he attempts to go deep for the second straight night as the Houston Astros look to complete a sweep when they host the Baltimore Orioles in the finale of their three-game series. Gattis' two-run homer in Wednesday's 4-3 victory was his fourth in the last eight games.
Gattis was sent to Double-A Corpus Christi for 10 days to work on his catching, and his bat has been lethal since rejoining the Astros on May 17. He was behind the plate on Wednesday and is hitting .355 in 31 at-bats with four multi-hit performances since his return to raise his average 50 points to .253. Baltimore's Matt Wieters is enjoying a torrid stretch of his own with five consecutive multi-hit efforts while going 17-for-38 with three homers and eight RBIs over his last 10 contests. Orioles batters struck out 37 times in the first two games - including 18 on Wednesday - and that output ties Houston's record for strikeouts by the pitching staff in back-to-back games (May 30 and 31, 2003 versus the Chicago Cubs).
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Kevin Gausman (0-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. Astros RH Lance McCullers (0-1, 5.91)
Gausman received his fifth consecutive no-decision after allowing just one run and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. He has given up two or fewer earned runs in four of his six starts and has posted a solid 1.12 WHIP. Gausman is 0-1 in three road outings this season and stands 5-13 with a 4.88 ERA in 39 appearances (24 starts) away from home during his four-year career.
McCullers is making his third start since returning from a shoulder injury that forced him to begin the season on the disabled list. He lost to Texas in his last outing, when he gave up two runs and five hits in six innings. McCullers tossed his lone career complete game against Baltimore on June 3, 2015 as he struck out a career-high 11 while giving up one run and four hits.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles CF Adam Jones is 1-for-11 with five strikeouts in the series and is mired in a 3-for-34 slump over his last eight contests.
2. Astros 2B Jose Altuve is 0-for-9 in the series and hitless in 17 at-bats over his last four games.
3. Baltimore OF/DH Mark Trumbo (1-for-11) and DH/3B Pedro Alvarez (2-for-9) have struck out six times apiece in the series.
PREDICTION: Astros 5, Orioles 3
