The Houston Astros are coming off a series sweep as they head into a series against the Texas Rangers after a day off. The momentum has been building, and as this team gets healthy, they get more and more dangerous. Jeremy Peña has been on fire lately, and Yordan Alvarez shows no signs of slowing down either.
The Astros are at .500 for the first time since April 7, and Houston is one game back of Texas in the AL West. That's a real turnaround for a team that sat 11 games under .500 on May 20th. Few teams in baseball have flipped their season around as fast as Houston has over the last two months.
To kick off the series against the Rangers, Hunter Brown will take the mound. After being on the IL for months, Hunter Brown is back better than ever. He has had a few rocky moments just like anyone, but his last start against the White Sox was simply outstanding and the exact kind of performance the Astros need from him now more than ever: seven shutout innings, 2 hits, 7 K, and zero walks.
Brown is currently 2-1, 3.45 ERA, per MLB. He missed two and a half months with a shoulder strain, and he struggled in his first three starts back in July (7.98 ERA, 1.91 WHIP) before finally finding his rhythm.
Here is a look at the opposition:
Nathan Eovaldi will take the mound for Texas. He's a two-time World Series champion and two-time All-Star, currently 10-8 with a 4.05 ERA and 130 strikeouts this season, per MLB. The 36-year-old veteran will definitely pose a challenge for Houston.
This series is crucial for the Astros. Texas is currently in first place, Houston right behind them. This is the first of three games, and it sets the tone for the weekend. If Hunter Brown can channel his killer performance against the White Sox and transfer that over to Friday night's game, the Astros should find themselves in a good position.
With Houston finally back at .500 for the first time in months, a series win here would build even more momentum heading toward August.
