After a 3-3 road trip that included back-to-back, walk-off losses, the Houston Astros return home for a three-game weekend series against the Detroit Tigers that starts Friday.
Kyle Tucker (shin) has missed the past eight games and Yainer Diaz (hand) was out the past three for the Astros, who were unsure when they would return.
“We do have guys that can perform and do the job. We need everyone,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “I believe in this group of players. They’re all capable of hitting and we need everyone to hit and contribute, and I believe that they’re going to.”
Right-hander Hunter Brown (2-5, 5.58 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener for the Astros on Friday. He allowed two hits with four walks and seven strikeouts in six shutout innings as the Astros beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-1 on Saturday. It marked the fourth consecutive quality start for Brown, who is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in that span. Brown posted just one quality start in his first eight starts this season.
Brown is 2-0 with a 3.92 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Tigers. He allowed one run on five hits with seven strikeouts over five innings against Detroit on May 11 but did not factor into the decision of an 8-2 loss in his lone relief appearance this season.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal (8-1, 1.92 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Tigers. He leads the American League in ERA and WHIP (0.891). Skubal has surrendered a combined two runs over his past three starts, going 2-0 with a 0.92 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 19 2/3 innings in that stretch. He has made nine quality starts over his past 10 outings.
Skubal is 1-0 with a 2.33 ERA in three career starts against the Astros. He earned the win May 11 vs. Brown and the Astros after allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.
The Tigers went 2-4 on their just-completed, six-game homestand, salvaging the finale of a three-game series against the Washington Nationals with a 7-2 win on Thursday.
Detroit broke loose with a five-run seventh inning after the Nationals knotted the score at 2-2 in the top of that frame. Rookie designated hitter Justyn-Henry Malloy gave Detroit a 2-1 lead with a solo home run in the sixth and capped the seventh-inning rally with a two-run double.
It had the makings of a breakout performance for Malloy, who made his major league debut on June 3 and was batting .150 entering play on Thursday.
“What it means is just having a game like this or having a big hit in a big moment or having the feeling of contributing and doing it again and again and have a breakout game like that,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “It brings some confidence, it brings a little bit of a collective exhale for him and for all of his family around him and all of his friends and the people that are following every step of this young guy’s move now that he’s in the big leagues.
“Hopefully, he can relax those shoulders and relax that mind. Even though he’s had some quality at-bats, the breakthrough hit and the big moment to change the game, it’s a great first for him.”
–Field Level Media
