Houston Astros kick off road trip in Arizona after brutal home losses
PHOENIX, Arizona (KTRK) -- The Astros are spending the next six days outside of Houston, beginning Friday with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The interleague series is a welcome palette-cleanser for the 20-13 team after scoring a total of just seven runs in the four-game series against the New York Yankees.
Houston's bats were kept quiet for nearly the entirety of the series, only to wake up in the seventh inning Thursday in the final game.
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Getting the lead after two scoreless games is one thing, but the Astros were also met with another big dose of reality - a failing stable of closing relief.
On Tuesday, when Justin Verlander blanked the Yankees for 14 strikeouts in eight innings of work, Ken Giles was given the job to at least extend the scoreless game in the ninth. That proposition quickly sailed away along with a Gary Sanchez three-run homer in the inning.
On Thursday, Will Harris was given the task of a two-run save opportunity, only to allow three earned runs for the comeback loss.
While the Astros have a different set of circumstances in Phoenix, the Diamondbacks shouldn't be handled as slouches. The D-Backs lead the National League West by four-and-a-half games entering Friday, and they just split a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
ASTROS VS. DIAMONDBACKS PROBABLES:
- Friday, 8:40 p.m.: Astros' Gerrit Cole (2-1) vs. Diamondbacks' Kris Medlen
- Saturday, 7:10 p.m.: Astros' Charlie Morton (4-0) vs. Diamondbacks' Zack Greinke (3-2)
- Sunday, 3:10 p.m.: Astros' Justin Verlander (4-0) vs. Diamondbacks' Matt Koch (1-0)
Houston will be the second straight opponent that the Diamondbacks face that involves a participating team from the previous year's World Series.
In addition, Houston will face off a batting order that boasts red-hot hitters A.J. Pollock, David Peralta, and Paul Goldschmidt. Pollock leads Arizona in hits with 35 and RBIs with 25.
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