Astros 5 - 2 Mariners
Final
  for this game

Astros turn to McHugh against Mariners

Apr 22, 2014 - 2:58 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Houston Astros had hoped to have Scott Feldman on the hill Tuesday. Instead righty Collin McHugh will make his season debut when the Astros continue a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

Feldman, who is 2-1 with a 1.69 ERA on the year, had his worst start of the season Thursday against Kansas City, as the Royals battered him for five runs (4 earned) and nine hits in six innings.

But the team placed him on the 15-day disabled list Monday with biceps tendinitis

"It's nothing too concerning," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "We debated putting him on the disabled list, but considering he's going to miss a start (Tuesday), we kind of want to be cautious with any discomfort. We're going to skip his next start [following Tuesday] as well, and given we have two days off next week, it made more sense to put him on the DL."

So now the Astros turn to McHugh, who was pitching to a 4.50 ERA in four games at Triple-A Oklahoma City. He spent the majority of 2013 in Triple-A with Las Vegas and Colorado Springs, going a combined 5-4 with a 3.69 ERA in the PCL.

Seattle, meanwhile, will counter with righty Erasmo Ramirez, who is 1-2 with a 7.50 ERA. Ramirez was awful on Thursday in Texas, as he was hammered him for five runs and six hits in just two innings. Amazingly, he escaped with a no- decision in Seattle's 8-6 loss.

Ramirez has allowed 18 hits and 13 runs over 11 innings in his last three outings after a strong opening debut against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

"I put stress on my team," Ramirez said. "I know I'm better than that. I can do it. I know it. I feel it. I just have to realize what I did and keep pounding the strike zone and find the right mechanic when I get ahead of hitters. If I need one pitch or two pitches, just go do it and don't be thinking too much about strikeouts. Just make them swing the bat and get ground balls or popups."

Ramirez beat the Astros the only other time he faced them.

Houston snapped a seven-game losing streak in Monday's opener, as Matt Dominguez and Marc Krauss both homered and Dallas Keuchel held Seattle to two runs in six innings in the Astros' 7-2 triumph.

Keuchel (2-1) allowed six hits and struck out eight, while Alex Presley went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Abraham Almonte drove in both runs and Stefen Romero had two hits in Seattle's seventh straight defeat. Felix Hernandez (3-1) went seven innings, allowing six runs -- two earned -- with a season-low four strikeouts in his first defeat of the season. The former Cy Young winner fanned at least eight batters in each of his first four starts.

Seattle was 10-9 against the Astros a year ago.






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