After Friday's 2-1 loss, the Orioles host Houston for two games today. The clubs play a single admission doubleheader beginning at 4:05 p.m.
Right-hander Dylan Bundy (8-16, 5.49 ERA) will make his 31st start of the season in Game 1. Bundy gave up four runs over three innings and threw 90 pitches on Monday at Boston. In his previous two starts, Bundy had allowed four earned runs over 12 2/3 innings, recording back-to-back quality starts.
But Bundy has struggled often since the calender turned to July. His ERA for the season was 3.75 at the end of June. But in 14 starts since July 6, Bundy is 2-9 with a 7.88 ERA. Bundy has allowed 21 homers in 69 2/3 innings in that span with four quality starts in those past 14 games.
Bundy in July: 1-2 with an 8.38 ERA in four starts.
Bundy in August: 0-4 with a 9.24 ERA in four starts.
Bundy so far in September: 1-3 with a 6.12 ERA in five starts.
Bundy has thrown 165 2/3 innings going into this start, needing 4 1/3 innings to set a career high, surpassing last year's total of 169 2/3. Bundy will set career-highs, or career-worsts this year for ERA, WHIP and homers allowed with 39 topping last year's total of 26.
For Houston, right-hander Justin Verlander (16-9, 2.60 ERA) will make his 34th start. In four starts this month, Verlander is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA and .141 average against. In 27 innings he has given up 13 hits with four walks and 40 strikeouts. This followed August where he went 3-3 with a 5.29 ERA.
For the year, Verlander has thrown 208 innings with 36 walks and a league-leading 280 strikeouts. He averages 1.6 walks and 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings. His WHIP is 0.909 and he gives up 6.6 hits/nine. He has posted a career-high in strikeouts and has reached 200 or more for the eighth time. Verlander has 25 quality starts and Houston is 20-13 in his starts, going 6-1 in the last seven.
On April 3 at Minute Maid Park, Verlander got a no-decision versus the Orioles, allowing six hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings. In 20 career starts, he is 10-5 with a 3.75 ERA and 1.176 WHIP.
The Orioles (46-113) are 27-51 at home and 0-4 against Houston. They have lost nine of 13, 15 of 20 and 27 of their last 36 games.
Houston (101-58) is one win from tying a franchise record for wins with 102, set in 1998. Houston has the best road record in the majors at 55-23 (.705). The Astros are 19-5 this month and 26-8 since Aug. 21.
In Game 2, right-hander Yefry RamÃrez (1-7, 6.07 ERA) will make his 17th appearance and 12th start of the year. In his last one he gave up six hits and six runs over 3 2/3 versus the Yankees. In nine home games, RamÃrez is 1-3 with an ERA of 3.00 and .221 average against.
Lefty Dallas Keuchel (12-11, 3.75 ERA) gets the start for Astros. Over his past four games he is 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA. Keuchel had an ERA of 3.75 in the first-half and has an ERA of 3.74 in the second-half. His ERA is 7.09 in the first inning and then drops to 2.09 in innings two through four in his starts in 2018.
There will be one game blog for both games today and this is it. So stay here for comments between games and during the second game too, thanks.