(SportsNetwork.com) – The Houston Astros go after an 11th straight win on
Monday when they open a three-game series with the Texas Rangers at Minute
Maid Park.
Houston ran its winning streak to double digits in dramatic fashion on Sunday,
as Evan Gattis hit a tiebreaking home run in the bottom of the eighth to lift
the Astros to their 10th straight win, a 7-6 decision over the Seattle
Mariners.
Pat Neshek (2-0) pitched a scoreless eighth and Luke Gregerson earned his
sixth save.
It’s the longest winning streak for the team since a franchise-record 12-game
run from Aug. 27-Sept. 8, 2004 and, at 18-7, the Astros set a club mark for
the best start through 25 games.
Houston, of course, has endured five straight losing seasons, including a
three-year stretch that saw it drop 100 games or more from 2011-13
“It’s just nice from where we’ve come from the last couple of years that we
lost a lot of games,” said Chris Carter, who also homered in Sunday’s win.
“It’s nice to have this run we’re having.”
Staying in the win column may not be that hard on Monday, as the Astros turn
to left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who has been one of the best pitchers in
baseball this season.
“We have a lot of potential, and it’s nice to see the guys in the lineup just
roll it over,” Keuchel said. “With that being said, some of the guys haven’t
even hit their peaks, so I think we have still have room to grow, and it’s
just fun to be a part of right now, especially with the way some of those guys
are running the bases out there and setting us up for some runs.”
Keuchel was again terrific on Wednesday in San Diego, as he limited the Padres
to a run and three hits over eight innings to improve to 3-0.
He’s only surrendered three runs all season and has given up just one in 23
innings of his last three starts. Keuchel’s 0.73 ERA is the lowest in Astros
history for a starting pitcher through five starts in a season.
“At the end of the year, if it’s still the lowest [ERA], I’ll take something,”
Keuchel said. “I don’t really take much out of the first five starts. I got to
continue to grind and try to get better each and every time out, and I think
the other four starters would say the same thing.”
Two of those runs came in a no-decision against Texas back on April 12 and he
is 2-3 lifetime against them with a 3.95 ERA in 10 starts.
Texas suffered a series loss to Oakland over the weekend and fell to the A’s,
7-1, on Sunday.
The Rangers, who have dropped eight of their last 10, scored their only run on
Shin-Soo Choo’s sacrifice fly after they loaded the bases with no outs in the
ninth inning.
Yovani Gallardo (2-4) absorbed the loss and was hit for four runs — three
earned — on seven hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings.
Getting the call for Texas on Monday will be lefty Ross Detwiler, who is 0-3
with an 8.66 ERA. Detwiler lost to Seattle last Tuesday, but pitched well,
giving up just a pair of runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Detwiler has faced the Astros four times (2 starts) and is 1-0 against them
with a 2.87 ERA.
Houston took two of three from their Lone Star State rivals earlier in the
season.
