Houston Astros aim to rebound in crucial Game 2 against Giants
ASTROS PREVIEW
11 June 2024
Ronel Blanco is on the bump for Houston Tuesday night. Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images.
Houston Astros (30-37, third in the AL West) vs. San Francisco Giants (33-34, third in the NL West)
San Francisco; Tuesday, 9:45 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Ronel Blanco (5-2, 2.78 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 59 strikeouts); Giants: Jordan Hicks (4-2, 2.82 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 59 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Astros -113, Giants -107; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants play the Houston Astros with a 1-0 series lead.
San Francisco has a 33-34 record overall and an 18-14 record at home. The Giants have hit 64 total home runs to rank eighth in the NL.
Houston is 13-19 on the road and 30-37 overall. The Astros are 15-29 in games when they have allowed at least one home run.
Tuesday’s game is the second meeting between these teams this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Chapman leads San Francisco with eight home runs while slugging .407. Heliot Ramos is 13-for-38 with four home runs and 10 RBI over the last 10 games.
Alex Bregman has 12 doubles, a triple, nine home runs and 31 RBI for the Astros. Yordan Alvarez is 15-for-39 with four doubles, a triple and four home runs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Giants: 4-6, .235 batting average, 4.49 ERA, outscored by eight runs
Astros: 5-5, .264 batting average, 3.63 ERA, outscored opponents by nine runs
INJURIES: Giants: Blake Snell: 15-Day IL (groin), Marco Luciano: 10-Day IL (undisclosed), LaMonte Wade Jr: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jung Hoo Lee: 60-Day IL (labrum), Tom Murphy: 60-Day IL (head), Nick Ahmed: 10-Day IL (wrist), Alex Cobb: 60-Day IL (hip), Ethan Small: 60-Day IL (oblique), Austin Warren: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tristan Beck: 60-Day IL (arm), Robbie Ray: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Astros: Kyle Tucker: 10-Day IL (shin), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (forearm), Spencer Arrighetti: day-to-day (calf), Cristian Javier: 15-Day IL (forearm), Oliver Ortega: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bennett Sousa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Penn Murfee: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
Key moment
The home run by Peraza.
Key stat
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
Up next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
