The Houston Astros (82-47, 68-61 RL, 49-75-5 O/U) battle the Texas Rangers (58-69, 72-54 RL, 62-58-6 O/U) in the first of a three-game series on Tuesday evening. The Astros will give the starting nod to Framber Valdez, seeking his fifth straight victory. The Rangers counter with Dane Dunning. The Astros lead the season series 10-4.
Framber Valdez will be on the hill on Tuesday night. Valdez resumed his fine work in his latest outing, limiting the Twins to only one run in seven innings and registered another win to lift his record to 13-4. The veteran left-hander continues to dazzle, allowing only three runs in his last three starts, and is sporting a 2.65 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 156 innings pitched on the season. Valdez has silenced the Rangers this season, amassing a minuscule 0.45 ERA in three meetings, and is 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 52.1 career innings.
Houston avoided a sweep against the Orioles with a 3-1 victory on Sunday. They only managed to score four runs in the series. They begin a brief five-game road trek in this one. The Astros are likely going to finish with the best record in the AL. They have 82 wins while the Yankees have 79.& #xA0;
Kyle Tucker has exploited the Rangers' pitching, collecting 16 RBIs and a dazzling 1.03 OPS. The 25-year-old right fielder is having a remarkable season, clubbing 22 homers with 82 RBIs and an .815 OPS. Tucker has 17 RBIs and a .965 OPS on the month. Yordan Alvarez is questionable.
The Astors are scoring an average of 4.54 runs per game, ranking them eighth overall. The pitching staff continues to shine and features a 3.04 team ERA, good for second.