Rangers at Astros Preview

HOUSTON (Interstat) — The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros open a pivotal three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, with both teams locked in a tight race near the .500 mark in the American League West.

Texas (55-54) enters the contest a half-game ahead of Houston (55-55) in the standings, following a 3-2 loss Thursday at Tampa Bay. The Rangers have dropped two of their last three, while the Astros come off a 7-4 win Wednesday at the Los Angeles Angels.

Right-hander Robby Ahlstrom, a key reliever for Texas, is a player to watch. In his last 10 appearances, Ahlstrom has been effective, allowing just two earned runs over 8 1/3 innings for a 2.16 ERA. His only blemish came July 12 against Houston, when he surrendered two earned runs in a third of an inning in a 6-5 Rangers win. In his other nine outings, he has not allowed an earned run.

Catcher Yainer Diaz is a standout for Houston. He went 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs in Wednesday’s win over the Angels. Over his last 10 games, Diaz is batting .250 with two homers, including a solo shot against the Rangers on July 10.

The season series is tied at 3-3. Houston won two of three in Arlington from July 10-12, taking the opener 9-3 before losing 7-3 and 6-5. In an earlier series in Houston, the Astros swept a three-game set from May 15-17, winning 2-0, 4-1 and 8-0 after the Rangers took the series opener 8-0.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 7-5 Houston victory. The Astros are installed as pregame favorites with a -1.5 run line, and the over/under is set at 8.

The Rangers face the Astros again Saturday and Sunday before returning home to host San Francisco. Houston’s next opponent after this series is Toronto.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. Eastern.