Game No. 86 Preview: Houston Astros at Cleveland Indians

Houston Astros (49-36) at Cleveland Indians (38-44), Jul 7, 2015 6:10 PM CDT

TV: Roots Sports SW, MLB.TV 
Radio: KBME 790 AM, KLAT 1010 AM
Indians SB Nation Blog: Let's Go Tribe

Pitching matchup

RHP Vincent Velasquez (0-0, 4.21 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) vs. RHP Corey Kluber (3-9, 3.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP)

Preview

The Astros offense pounded out 16 hits Monday night as the Astros took the first game of this four game series 9-4. Now rookie Vince Velasquez takes the hill, still searching for his first career major league win. He left with the lead in both of his last two starts, only to see the bullpen falter. Now he looks to build on those two stellar performances against an Indians club that hasn't lived up to preseason expectations.

He'll face the reigning AL Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber. The Astros beat Kluber 2-0 on Opening Day this year in Houston, and he's struggled to match last year's numbers. He hasn't gotten much support from his team in 2015, and his peripherals and FIP (2.45) show he's been a much better pitcher than his 3-9 record suggests. He's also averaging over 10 strikeouts per nine innings, so he should be a tough test for the Astros offense.

This looks like a promising pitching matchup, with a veteran strikeout artist against a rookie phenom. The Astros have ground out victories all season against tough opponents, and they will look to do the same tonight.

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