The Oakland A's (35-63) will host the Houston Astros (64-32) on Monday in the first game of a three-game series. The Astros are 6-3 against the A's straight up this season.
The Astros have hit the ground running, winning all five of their games since the All-Star break. The Astros started out the second half by sweeping the Yankees in a doubleheader and then swept the Mariners in three games. Seattle had won 14 straight games before being swept by the Astros.
Sweep, sweep, sweep victory! pic.twitter.com/4OjUFGLBZc
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 24, 2022
Houston is averaging 5.2 runs per game and allowing 3.0 runs per game over the current winning streak. They will now head to Oakland to face an A's team that upset them right before the break by taking two of three games.
Jake Odorizzi (4-2, 3.56 ERA) is scheduled to make his third consecutive start against the A's on Monday. Odorizzi is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA in five home starts this season. Odorizzi tossed seven shutout innings at Oakland on July 10 in a 6-1 Astros road win and allowed three runs in 5 1/3 innings on July 17 in a 4-3 home loss to the A's.
Houston has five players who have hit at least 12 home runs this season and had three position players named to the All-Star team, led by Yordan Alvarez who has a 4.4 WAR, .307 batting average, 28 home runs, and 65 RBI. Kyle Tucker has 18 home runs, 63 RBI, and 16 stolen bases, and Jose Altuve has 19 home runs and eight stolen bases. Alvarez is questionable for this game with soreness in his right hand.