Astros aim to salvage finale of series vs. Indians

HOUSTON -- With the Astros losing ace left-hander Dallas Keuchel for at least one turn through the rotation due to a pinched nerve in his neck, the club will have the opportunity to take a look at left-handed reliever Ashur Tolliver.

Tolliver, claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Dec. 5, posted a 2-0 mark with a 2.70 ERA in 10 appearances with Triple-A Fresno before being recalled on Saturday. Control has long been his weakness, and while opposing hitters were batting just .152 against Tolliver, his bloated walk rate (17.2 percent) remains a lingering concern.

"We were pretty excited about him in the spring given our lack of left-handed depth in the bullpen," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We liked his velocity and his stuff. He's got real stuff that can impact hitters. He's had a hard time harnessing it and so we've seen a little bit of both, good and bad, in Triple-A. He's been able to punch out some hitters, he's been able to control some damage. He's also given out a few free passes.

"It comes down to being able to control the strike zone. If he can stay in the strike zone he's got enough (of a) fastball, he's got a good split, they're working on his breaking ball. All of that we've seen in Triple-A progress. The walk totals have been a little high, which has been his Achilles' heel in his career."

Right-hander Joe Musgrove (3-3, 4.57 ERA) will start the series finale for the Astros.

Musgrove, 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in day home games, has allowed two runs or fewer in three of his last four starts, going 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 22 innings during that span.

Sunday will mark not only his first career start against the Indians, but his first versus club from the American League Central.

The Indians (22-19) will counter with right-hander Danny Salazar (2-4, 5.66 ERA), who will make his sixth of nine starts this season on the road.

Salazar, 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA away from Progressive Field, will make his fourth career start against Houston. He has not recorded a decision while posting a 1.47 ERA, including allowing one run on four hits over five innings against Houston on May 11, 2016.

With their 3-0 victory on Saturday, the Indians claimed their second series win over the Astros (29-14) in as many tries.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona rejected any notion that his club embraces the opportunity to shine against a quality club like Houston more than any other opponent, but what is clear is that the Indians have made the most of their limited matchups.

"I don't want our guys to be more up for a series because you'll run into problems that way," Francona said. "We've got to attack every game, every series because that's the one that's right in front of you. But these guys are really good so you know that it's hard to win but they're still fun games to play.

"You can't do extra; it doesn't work that way. Because if you do, then you're going to come up short somewhere else. You try to set the bar high for your preparation and you try to be consistent. Some games are probably more fun for the players to play but since they all mean the same you've got to be pretty consistent."