(SportsNetwork.com) - Scott Feldman tries to pitch the Houston Astros to a rare series win over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday when the Lone Star State rivals play the rubber match of a three-game set at Minute Maid Park.
Houston snapped a 10-game home losing streak to the Rangers on Tuesday, as Dallas Keuchel tossed a seven-hit shutout in the Astros' 8-0 win. L.J. Hoes and Carlos Corporan both homered and drove in three for the Astros, who beat the Rangers for only the fourth time in the last 28 overall meetings.
Chris Carter went 3-for-4 and scored twice and Jose Altuve had two hits and two runs scored. Altuve now has 12 hits during his six-game hitting streak.
Keuchel (4-2) struck out seven and did not issue a walk to win his second straight decision.
"I felt good with every pitch," said Keuchel. "It feels great, I'd be lying if I said it didn't. Especially against that type of lineup."
Texas starter Matt Harrison (1-1) pitched around a pair of walks to get out of the first inning but could not survive the second. Carter led off with a single and Hoes followed with a two-run blast to left. Harrison retired the next two batters, but Altuve's double kept the inning alive. George Springer walked and Dexter Fowler delivered another run with a single to center.
Harrison was then greeted at the mound by team trainers and left the game with apparent back stiffness. Justin Germano took the hill and ended the second by getting Matt Dominguez to ground into a fielder's choice.
"I felt okay warming up, so I really don't know," said Harrison. "I was looking up and my velocity was going down further and further, so I knew something wasn't right."
Now the Astros have a chance to win their first series against the Rangers since June of 2008 and will have their best pitcher on the hill. Feldman is winless since April 6, but is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA. He did not get a decision on Friday in Baltimore, but pitched well, as he surrendered a pair of runs in six innings of a 4-3 loss. He also struck out six without walking a batter.
"I definitely felt like I could throw all my pitches," Feldman said. "I was throwing more free and easy. It was a good feeling, in that regard. It would've been a nice one to win."
Feldman, who spent his first eight seasons with the Rangers, also got a no- decision versus the Rangers back on April 11, but was terrific, scattering two hits in seven scoreless innings of a 1-0 setback. He is 1-1 in three starts against the Rangers with a 3.26 ERA.
Texas, meanwhile, has pushed ace Yu Darvish back a few days following his near no-hit performance a week ago and will instead turn to Nick Tepesch, who will be making his season debut.
Tepesch was 6-1 with a 1.58 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Round Rock.
"It was just a matter of commanding all of my pitches, consistently commanding them in the zone," Tepesch said. "That's probably the biggest thing."
Tepesch beat the Astros both times he faced them last season, pitching to a 4.09 ERA in doing so.
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