Results tagged ‘ Giants ’
Astros-Giants preview
Coming off their first road series win of the season, the Astros open a three-game series against the Giants tonight at AT&T Park.
Here is the Astros’ lineup:
2B Jose Altuve
RF Brian Bixler
SS Jed Lowrie
LF J.D. Martinez
CF Justin Maxwell
3B Chris Johnson
1B Matt Downs
C Jason Castro
RHP Bud Norris
Here are the pitching match-ups:
Tuesday — RHP Bud Norris (5-3, 4.65) vs. LHP Madison Bumgarner (7-4, 3.26)
Wednesday — LHP J.A. Happ (4-6, 4.54) vs. RHP Matt Cain (7-2, 2.41)
Thursday — LHP Wandy Rodriguez (5-4, 3.27) vs. LHP Barry Zito (5-3, 3.24)
- It won’t be a surprise if runs are hard to come by for both teams in the series. This season, the Giants’ home park has been as pitcher friendly as it ever has. AT&T Park is averaging only 5.94 runs per game this year, which is the second-fewest this year behind PNC Park (5.63).
- The Giants’ lack of home run production at home this season has been extraordinary. It’s comparable to a few Astros’ seasons in the cavernous Astrodome. San Francisco has hit only six home runs in its first 32 home games. That’s tied for the fourth fewest since 1961 in that many games. The Padres hit three homers through 32 home games in 1981, and the Astros hit four through 32 home games in 1971 and again in 1984.
- Giants previous low through both 32 and 33 home games is eight home runs in 1980. Their current16-game streak at home without a homer is the longest streak by a team since the 1990 Astros went 16 straight games with zero homers at the Astrodome.
- The Astros have played like a contending team at Minute Maid Park, but are still in the process of bringing that same degree of success on the road with them. Houston’s 8-20 record on the road is easily the worst in the Majors among teams with winning home records. The next worst is the Mets, who are 13-17 on the road.
- The Astros are nearly automatic in one-run games at home, not so on the road. They are 7-1 in one-run games at home and 2-9 in one-run games on the road.
- The Astros have won four of their last seven games after losing each of their previous eight contests. Houston has just eight wins in 28 road games this season.
- Astros shortstop Jed Lowrie, who leads the Astros with 12 home runs this season, has homered in three of his last four games. Lowrie’s 12 homers are the most among all ML shortstops this season.
- Lowrie’s 12 home runs are the most homers by an Astros middle infielder through 60 games in team history. Craig Biggio had 11 homers through 60 games in 1993.
- Dating to last season, Astros pitcher Bud Norris has been consistently inconsistent away from home, while Giants Madison Bumgarner has owned the opposition at his home yard.Norris is 2-3 with a 6.45 ERA in his last 10 road starts, and Bumgarner is 9-1 with a 1.56 ERA in his last 10 home starts.
- The Astros certainly don’t have the offense to blame for their recent struggles in the win column. Houston has been one of the top five hitting teams in the majors over the past few weeks. The Astros are averaging 5.54 runs per game since May 28, which ranks fourth in the Majors.
- The Giants’ Melky Cabrera has 87 hits through 61 games, which is the second-most in that span in Giants history since 1958. Willie Mays had 92 hits through 61 games in 1958.
- The Giants, who have split their last six games overall, have won five of their last seven home games against the Astros.
- Madison Bumgarner is 4-1 with a 2.50 ERA in five home starts this season and is 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA in two career starts against Houston.
- Houston has lost each of Bud Norris’ last three starts after winning eight of his first nine starts of the season. Norris has 76 strikeouts in 69 2/3 innings this season.The Giants have failed to hit a home run in each of their last 16 home games – matching the longest any Major League team has gone without a homer at home since the 1990 Astros.
Astros’ lineup and preview vs. Giants
This is it. Game 7. Well, it’s about as much drama as the Astros can have these days, entering Sunday’s series finale against the Giants with a chance to win the season series from the defending World Series champions.
The Astros won two out of three in Houston last weekend, and the Giants have won two out of three in this series, including a walk-off win in the 10th on Saturday night.
Sunday will be a dream come true for Astros starter Bud Norris.
Norris, who grew up in the Bay Area, will make his first Major League start in San Francisco against the Giants in Sunday’s series finale. Norris has never faced the Giants in his two years in the Majors.
“I’m excited to play against my childhood team, which should be interesting,” he said. “But like any other day, I’m going to go out there and do my job and go pitch.”
Norris remembers going to games back when the Giants played at Candlestick Park. Norris has been doing his hometown of Greenbrae, Calif., proud this season in an otherwise rough one for the Astros. Norris has a 3.73 ERA, with a 6-8 record.
Here is the Astros’ lineup:
CF Jordan Schafer
SS Angel Sanchez
LF J.D. Martinez
1B Carlos Lee
2B Matt Downs
RF Brian Bogusevic
3B Jimmy Paredes
C Carlos Corporan
RHP Bud Norris
Astros’ lineup Saturday vs. Giants
The Astros can clinch the season series against the Giants with a win on either Saturday or Sunday. They’ll send Brett Myers to the mound, with the right-hander trying to snap a personal seven-game losing streak. Here is the Astros’ lineup:
2B Jose Altuve
CF Jason Bourgeois
LF J.D. Martinez
1B Carlos Lee
RF Jason Michaels
3B Jimmy Paredes
SS Clint Barmes
C Humberto Quintero
RHP Brett Myers
Happ, Astros try to continue winning ways against Giants
J.A. Happ, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City Wednesday to take Jordan Lyles’ spot in the rotation as the Astros try to limit Lyles’ innings, will make his first start in the Majors since Aug. 5 when he faces the Giants tonight at 9:15 p.m. CT.
Happ (4-14, 6.26 ERA) went 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in a three-game stint with the RedHawks, holding opponents to a .177 batting average. He also threw seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball his last time out.
Happ will try to carry that momentum into Friday’s start.
“I was definitely trying to build off each outing. The last one was the best, as far as getting deeper into the game and getting a pitch count that’s manageable and getting early outs,” Happ said. “That was my main focus, making sure one of the first two pitches was a strike and trying to get early outs.”
More than anything, Happ said his time in the Minors allowed him to clear his mind in the wake of his struggles with the Astros.
“I think the fact there was way too much negativity going on through my head definitely didn’t help,” he said. “I’m getting past that, getting over that and trying to be positive.”
Here is the Astros’ starting lineup:
CF Jordan Schafer
RF Jason Bourgeois
LF J.D. Martinez
1B Carlos Lee
3B Matt Downs
2B Jose Altuve
SS Clint Barmes
C Humberto Quintero
LHP J.A. Happ
Astros preview vs. Giants
Greetings from AT&T Park, where the Astros try to snap their losing streak against the defending NL champion Giants tonight. Henry Sosa, the former Giants farm hand, is on the mound for the Astros. Before we get to the lineup, here are some notes:
- Giants starters are 5-1 with a 2.03 ERA in their last six home games against the Astros.
- Since Aug. 16, the Astros are averaging 5.5 runs per game, which is fifth in the Majors in that span. Prior to that, they were averaging 3.75 runs per game, which was 27th.
- Henry Sosa’s opponents have a .400 batting average on pitches 1-30. They are hitting .196 against him after pitch 30.
- J.D. Martinez’s 22 RBIs since July 31 are the most in the Majors by any rookie
Here is the Astros’ lineup:
CF Jordan Schafer
2B Jose Altuve
LF J.D. Martinez
1B Carlos Lee
RF Brian Bogusevic
3B Jimmy Paredes
SS Clint Barmes
C Carlos Corporan
RHP Henry Sosa
Astros’ lineup Sunday vs. Giants
The Astros will try to win their fifth consecutive game, which would be a season high, in an attempt to sweep the defending World Series champion Giants today at Minute Maid Park. Henry Sosa, acquired from the Giants last month in the Jeff Keppinger deal, wills start for the Astros and face left-hander Dan Runzler (1-2, 6.64 ERA).
Here is the Astros’ lineup:
2B Jose Altuve
CF Jason Bourgeois
LF J.D. Martinez
1B Carlos Lee
3B Jimmy Paredes
SS Clint Barmes
RF Jason Michaels
C Carlos Corporan
RHP Henry Sosa
Astros’ lineup for Saturday
The Astros will try to tie their season-high winning streak of four games by sending this lineup against the Giants on Saturday:
2B Jose Altuve
CF Jason Bourgeois
LF J.D. Martinez
1B Carlos Lee
3B Jimmy Paredes
SS Clint Barmes
RF Jason Michaels
C Humberto Quintero
RHP Jordan Lyles
Astros lineup Thursday vs. Giants
If the Astros can beat the Giants on Thursday afternoon, they would have their first series win since taking three of four games at the Rockies from June 7-10. it would also be their first series win against the Giants at home since a four-game sweep Aug. 11-14, 2008.
To get it done, the Astros will need a rebound effort from left-hander Wandy Rodriguez (3-10, 6.09 ERA), who leads hte league in losses. He’s allowed 14 earned runs and 11 hits in eight innings in his past two starts, and he’s lost six of his last seven starts.
The Giants will counter with left-hander Matt Cain (6-5, 2.16 ERA), who has thrown a complete game in three of his previous six starts. His ERA is the fourth-lowest in the NL, and he’s 1-2 wiht a 3.64 ERA in his career against the Astros.
Here are the lineups:
ASTROS
CF Michael Bourn
2B Jeff Keppinger
1B Lance Berkman
LF Carlos Lee
RF Hunter Pence
SS Geoff Blum
3B Pedro Feliz
C Jason Castro
P Wandy Rodriguez
GIANTS
SS Edgar Renteria
2B Freddy Sanchez
RF Aubrey Huff
LF Pat Burrell
1B Buster Posey
1 Bengie Molina
C Aaron Rowand
P Matt Cain

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