Ricky Nolasco hasn’t won back-to-back starts this season. He’ll get another chance to accomplish that later tonight, as he takes on the surging Astros on the road.
Nolasco brought his A-game in his previous start, holding Toronto scoreless and allowing just five hits in six innings of a 6-1 victory last week. He also struck out seven Blue Jays. Nolasco is actually pitching better this month than in previous ones, carrying a 1-2 record with a 3.32 ERA in three September starts.
Nolasco, however, is receiving a paltry amount of run support this month, getting just 2.84 runs per nine innings pitched. Hopefully, he’ll see his teammates back him up at the plate, especially with Mike Fiers pitching for Houston.
The Angels have a collective career batting average of .317 against Fiers. Kole Calhoun is 3-for-11 with a homer against Fiers. Carlos Perez, meanwhile, is 4-for-8 with a double in the same matchup.
The under is 7-0-1 in Nolasco’s last eight starts.
The Astros are heating up at the right time. They’re just a game behind in the race for the second American League wild card spot after going 6-1 in their last seven starts and they will look to keep the good times rolling later tonight at home against the visiting Angels. They are also 6-0 in their last six at Minute Maid Park against the Halos.
As mentioned earlier, Mike Fiers will be on the mound for Houston. Fiers is coming off a nice pick-me-up performance, allowing zero runs and just three hits across six innings of work in a 2-1 win over Seattle on September 17. That came after a disastrous outing against the Cubs, in which Fiers was pummeled for seven earned runs on seven hits in just 2.1 innings of a 9-5 loss.
Fiers earned a win the last time he faced LA, allowing three earned runs on nine hits in seven innings of a 13-3 home victory. Fiers is 6-4 with a 4.00 ERA in 15 starts this season at Minute Maid Park.
Houston’s offense, on the other hand, is looking to exploit the Angels’ struggling bullpen that has a 4.30 ERA (entering Wednesday) this month.
Carlos Correa is batting .348 (8-for-23) with a homer and three RBIs in his last six games. Evan Gattis is channeling his inner Paul Bunyan of late, smashing four homers over the last six games also.
