The Houston Astros (30-21) will be trying to pick up their second consecutive series win when they face the Minnesota Twins (27-25) in the first game of their three-game series on Monday afternoon.
J.P. France, 1-1, 3.43 ERA, will get the start for the Astros. The Twins will counter with Sonny Gray, 4-0, 1.82 ERA.
Houston is 7-3 in its last 10 games against Minnesota.
**This preview was written before Sunday’s game was played**
The Twins played well over the weekend and they’ve won two of their last three games. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Astros, which will give them their third win in their last four games and the series lead.
Minnesota is averaging 4.62 runs per game. Their .231 batting average is 24th in the league. Their .313 on base percentage is 22nd, while their .410 slugging percentage is 15th.
Byron Buxton leads the Twins with a .230 batting average. Joey Gallo leads the team with 11 home runs, while Trevor Larnach leads the team with 27 RBI.
Minnesota’s pitching has been good, with the team giving up 3.75 runs per game. Opponents have a .226 batting average against the Twins, which leads the league. Their 3.46 ERA is second, while their 1.19 WHIP is third.
In his la st start, Gray gave up six hits and two runs in five innings, leading to a 4-3 loss to San Francisco. They will need another solid start from him if they want to win this game.