Jarrod Parker will get the starting nod on the mound as the Oakland Athletics travel for a road game against Jarred Cosart and the Houston Astros Tuesday night at 8:10 pm ET.
Watch online Oakland Athletics vs. Houston Astros live stream, click here.
Via ESPN:
Parker (6-6, 3.95 ERA) has a major league-best 0.83 WHIP in his last 11 starts, and he's also compiled a 2.33 ERA while limiting opponents to a .179 average.
Despite those numbers, the right-hander is just 4-1 over that span since he's been backed by two runs or fewer in six of those outings.
The bullpen hasn't been much help, either. Each of Parker's last four starts have resulted in A's losses, and the relievers have been responsible for each while surrendering 12 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings.
That trend continued July 12, when Parker allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings before the bullpen gave up two runs in the eighth of a 4-2 loss to Boston.
He may feel encouraged about getting his first win since June 18 at Texas since AL West-leading Oakland (58-41) has won 12 straight meetings with the Astros, including all 10 this year.
The A's are hitting .295 while averaging 7.2 runs against them this season. They've hit 14 of their 15 homers against Houston in seven meetings at Minute Maid Park, where the bullpen has a 2.41 ERA.
Oakland's winning streak against the Astros (33-65) appeared to be in jeopardy Monday, but Josh Reddick completed the rally with a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning of a 4-3 victory. Before that, the A's fell behind 3-0 after three innings, committing three errors.
"We didn't give up. We didn't put our heads down and say, 'Oh well, we are just having a bad game,'" manager Bob Melvin said.
