Oakland at Houston

Oakland had little trouble disposing of the Astros in the series opener 8-2. That still leaves Oakland at 5-9 over their last 14 games, and the lowly Astros have played Oakland tough, winning five of the last nine contests. Jason Hammel was having a great year in Chicago, and was considered the final piece of an already strong A's rotation. He has really struggled since the trade, working less than an average of five innings in his seven starts while pitching to a woeful 6.75 ERA. Dallas Kuechel is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher for a lot of teams and has posted a 10-9 record backed by a 3.12 ERA on the season. Keuchel has sure been at his best on regular four days rest where Houston is 17-5 in his last 22, and considering how bad Houston has been during the period, that is eye-opening. Take Houston.