Astros 捜し出す to 支配（する）／統制する 運命 going into 王室のs series
For one game at least, that ominous dark cloud 解除するd from above the reeling Houston Astros.
Mauricio Dubon 一打／打撃d a walk-off 選び出す／独身 to 権利 field that plated Yainer Diaz with one out in the 底（に届く） of the ninth inning on Wednesday for a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The Astros (85-68) 回避するd a three-game series sweep and stayed 頂上に the American League West standings through an off day on Thursday and into the opener of a three-game 始める，決める against the Kansas City 王室のs on Friday.
The Astros had dropped 13 of 18 games at home and fell one game below .500 at Minute Maid Park before 決起大会／結集させるing to 勝利，勝つ the finale against Baltimore. The victory felt long 延滞の for the Astros.
"It was nice to see the guys happy and partying because it's been a morgue in (the clubhouse) the last couple of games," Astros 経営者／支配人 Dusty パン職人 said. "That was a 抱擁する game."
Houston 持つ／拘留するs a half-game lead over the Texas 特別奇襲隊員s and Seattle 水夫s in the AL West, with those two 会合 in a three-game series this 週末 in Arlington. A series 勝利，勝つ over the 王室のs would do Houston a world of good.
"If we just 勝利，勝つ, we'll 選ぶ up on somebody with Texas playing Seattle," パン職人 said. "If we just 勝利，勝つ, we'll 選ぶ up on somebody every day."
Left-hander Framber Valdez (12-10, 3.20 ERA) has the starting assignment for Houston on Friday. He 敗北・負かすd the 王室のs in his previous start on Sunday after 限界ing them to one unearned run on six 攻撃する，衝突するs and one walk with five strikeouts in seven innings during a 7-1 victory. Valdez has been sharp recently, going 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA and .536 対抗者 OPS over his last five starts.
Valdez is 2-1 with a 3.80 ERA over five career 外見s (three starts) against the 王室のs. Previous to his o uting on Sunday, Valdez 敗北・負かすd the 王室のs 7-4 on June 5, 2022, after 許すing two runs on four 攻撃する，衝突するs and three walks with five strikeouts over six innings.
Left-hander Cole Ragans (6-4, 3.33 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the 王室のs in the series opener. He is 4-1 with a 2.28 ERA over 10 starts since his 取得／買収 from the 特別奇襲隊員s on June 30. Ragans is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA over his last six starts but did not factor into the 決定／判定勝ち（する） in either of his last two 遠出s, 含むing against the Astros on Saturday when he 許すd five runs on six 攻撃する，衝突するs and two walks with seven strikeouts over six-加える innings in the 王室のs' 10-8 victory.
Ragans is 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA over four career 外見s (three starts) against the Astros. 事前の to his most 最近の start against Houston, he 降伏するd two runs on five 攻撃する，衝突するs with three strikeouts over four innings of 救済 in an 8-2 road loss to the Astros on April 15 while with the 特別奇襲隊員s.
The 王室のs (51-102) started a 5-1 homestand with a pair of 勝利，勝つs over the Astros last 週末 and capped it with a 6-2 victory over the Cleveland 後見人s on Wednesday in what was their seventh 勝利，勝つ over their last eight games. This is the best stretch for Kansas City since a seven-game winning streak that 橋（渡しをする）d July and August.
"Pitching is doing an amazing 職業," said 王室のs 指定するd hitter MJ Melendez, who walked three times in the finale against the 後見人s. "And the hitting, we're doing 井戸／弁護士席 with people in 得点する／非難する／２０ing position and we're finding ways to get on base."
--Field Level マスコミ
