LA Angels of Anaheim (5-5) at Houston Astros (4-6), 7:10 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - Dallas Keuchel aims to continue his strong start to the season on Saturday when the Houston Astros resume a three-game set with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Minute Maid Park.
Keuchel outdueled reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber with seven scoreless innings to win his first start and was again tremendous on Sunday in Texas. Keuchel carried a shutout into the seventh of that one, but allowed two runs in that frame. Still, he did not get a decision in his team's 6-4 win over the Rangers and saw his ERA rise to 1.29.
He was cruising early," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I loved the way he was mixing his pitches. They were swinging early and he was getting ground balls like he always does and he was on his way to a really efficient game with quality attached to it. They made him work a couple of innings and he had a lot of energy he had to extend in the inning they scored two. It was a quality start, quality outing for him."
The 27-year-old left-hander has faced the Angels eight times (7 starts) and is 4-1 against them with a 5.15 ERA.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, will hand the ball to lefty C.J. Wilson, who was awful in a loss to Kansas City on Sunday. After tossing eight scoreless innings to beat Seattle in his debut, Wilson was hammered to the tune of seven runs (6 earned) and nine hits in just 5 2/3 innings by the Royals.
"A play, here or there, and it might have been better for C.J.," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "
Los Angeles rode their reigning MVP to a victory in Friday's opener, as Mike Trout cracked a pair of home runs, the last a three-run shot that broke a tie game in the eighth inning and propelled the Angels to a 6-3 win.
Trout also delivered a two-run shot, the 100th homer of his career, as part of a five-RBI night. Kole Calhoun added a pair of hits and scored three times in his return to the lineup to help the Angels to their third win in four tries.
Jered Weaver turned in his best start of the season for Anaheim, though he wound up with a no-decision despite permitting just two runs on six hits through six innings. Cesar Ramos (1-0) received the win after escaping a jam in the bottom of the seventh that preceded Trout's go-ahead blast off Chad Qualls (0-1).
"He's one of the better players in the game right now," Qualls said of Trout. "Hats off to him. He did his job."
Astros starter Roberto Hernandez struck out six while allowing three runs on only three hits over six innings of work.
Jason Castro had a solo homer for Houston and Evan Gattis finished 2-for-4 in the loss, the Astros' third in four games.
The Angels won 12 of 19 meetings with Houston last season.