Houston Astros (9-5) vs. Los Angeles Angels (7-8), April 19, 2017, 7:10 PM CDT

TV: ROOTSW Alternative

Radio: KBME 790 AM, La Nueva 94.1 FM

Online: MLB.TV

Angels SBNation Blog: Halos Heaven

Pitching Matchup

LHP Dallas Keuchel (2-0, 0.86 ERA, 0.62 WHIP) vs. RHP JC Ramirez (2-1, 7.20 ERA, 1.50 WHIP)

Preview

The Angels snapped their 6-game losing streak and the Astros’ 5-game winning streak with a 5-2 victory on Tuesday. The Astros will look to start another winning streak with ace Dallas Keuchel on the mound for game 3 of the 4-game series at Minute Maid Park.

Keuchel has looked more like a Cy Young winner in the early goings of 2017 than he did last year, giving up only 2 runs over 21 innings in his first 3 starts. Keuchel has been praising new Astros catcher Brian McCann, saying that he hasn’t shaken him off more than 3 times over his first 21 innings of 2017. Let’s hope the chemistry between the battery mates continues to pay off tonight.

The Angels send JC Ramirez to the mound for only the second MLB start of his career, starting in place of the injured Garrett Richards. After beginning the season in the bullpen, Ramirez made his first big league start against the Royals on Friday, giving up 5 ER over 5 IP (4 H, 2 BB, 3 K).

Home Runs

• George Springer is tied for the MLB lead with 7 HRs
• Yuli Gurriel hit his first HR of 2017 in Tuesday’s game, leaving Jose Altuve, Evan Gattis, Alex Bregman, Carlos Beltran, and Josh Reddick as the remaining Astros position players without a long ball in 2017. Those five players combined for 103 HRs in 2016.
• Albert Pujols has hit 54 HRs against the Astros in his career, more than any other player in MLB history
• The Astros have hit 16 HRs so far in 2017, but 13 of them have been solo shots. Eventually, there will be men on base when the ball leaves the park or else we’ll have to start calling them the Houston Marwins.

Go ‘Stros!!