Framber Valdez will start the series finale against the Giants. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
The Houston Astros will try to bounce back and avoid a sweep as they face the San Francisco Giants in the series finale on Wednesday afternoon at Daikin Park.
Houston will turn to ace Framber Valdez (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who was dominant in his season debut, allowing no runs with four strikeouts. The left-hander will look to slow down a Giants team that has won three straight road games and is off to a hot start.
San Francisco counters with right-hander Landen Roupp, who will be making his season debut. The Giants (4-1) have relied on timely hitting and strong pitching early in the season, holding opponents to just 2.6 runs per game.
The Astros (2-3) are still searching for consistency at the plate, averaging just 1.8 runs per game and adjusting to life without All-Stars Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman. José Altuve provided a spark with his first home run of the season on Tuesday, but Houston will need more production to avoid dropping further below .500.
Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is off to a slow start, with only one hit in sixteen at-bats. Alvarez is not the only one struggling as Isaac Paredes, Christian Walker, Yainer Diaz, Jeremy Pena, and Cam Smith all are hitting below .200.
Here's a look at Wednesday's lineup. Yordan getting the start in left, with Altuve in the DH spot. Brendan Rogers gets the nod at second base, with Zach Dezenzo filling in for Smith in right field.
Homestand finale pic.twitter.com/t7vgxmWRBV
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 2, 2025
Betting Line: The Giants are slight favorites at -137, with the over/under set at 8 runs.
Up Next: After the series wraps, the Astros will head to Minnesota for a three-game series against the Twins.
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The Houston Astros will try to end a three-game losing streak when they take on the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon at Target Field.
Both teams enter at 2-4 and will look to gain early-season momentum. Houston hands the ball to Hunter Brown (0-1, 3.00 ERA), who struck out seven in his season debut but took the loss. Minnesota counters with Joe Ryan (0-0, 1.80 ERA), who was sharp in his first outing, allowing just one run with five strikeouts.
Houston’s offense has struggled to find consistency, averaging just 3.0 runs per game during its losing streak. The Astros will look for a spark against a Twins pitching staff that posted a 4.27 ERA last season and has been solid early this year.
Minnesota, which finished 82-80 last year, relies on strong pitching and averaged 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023. The Twins also play well at home, going 43-38 at Target Field last season.
Houston hopes to get its bats going and avoid falling deeper into an early-season hole.
Here's a look at the lineup Joe Espada is rolling with in Game 1. Mauricio Dubon will make the start in center field over Jake Meyers and Chas McCormick, which makes sense considering Meyers and McCormick's struggles with the bat.
On the road.
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Meyers hasn't recorded a hit since Opening Day, and McCormick struck out three times in the finale versus the Giants. Victor Caratini will start over Yainer Diaz at catcher, giving Espada another left-handed bat in the lineup. Diaz only has two hits on the season, so maybe the team can find an offensive spark with Caratini. Brendan Rodgers will start at second base, with Dubon penciled in center field.
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