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Astros aim to extend homer streak in finale with Angels

Jun 24, 2015 - 12:46 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Angels were able to contain the Houston Astros' powerful offense for one game, but they weren't as lucky on Tuesday night.

The Astros look to extend their home run streak on Wednesday afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game set with the Angels.

Houston had posted a franchise-record eight straight multi-homer games before going deep just once in Monday's 4-3 setback to Los Angeles. However, the Astros countered with three homers on Tuesday night, with Luis Valbuena going deep twice in a 13-3 rout.

Valbuena had three hits and drove in three runs, giving him 19 homers on the year but with just a .195 batting average. Carlos Correa also went deep as part of a three-hit game, with the rookie scoring three times and driving in four runs while falling a triple shy of the cycle.

Correa is batting .308 with four homers and 11 RBI over his first 15 major league games.

Houston leads the majors with 107 homers and has gone yard in 10 straight games, the longest for the franchise since a 12-game run from July 28-Aug. 10, 2007.

Collin McHugh made sure not to waste the offensive support, hurling eight innings in helping the Astros win for the seventh time in 10 games.

"I was able to move around the zone today. I was more aggressive," McHugh said. "It felt as easy today as it's felt in awhile."

C.J. Wilson did not make it past the fourth inning after surrendering seven runs on eight hits. The left-hander had allowed one earned run over his previous two starts, but the division leaders caused a bit of a regression and the Angels lost for the third time in four games.

"The mistakes (Wilson) made went a long way," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Young right-hander Lance McCullers faces the Angels for the first time in his career this afternoon in his eighth major league start.

McCullers is 3-2 with a 2.45 earned run average following consecutive outings against Seattle. He beat the visiting Mariners 13-0 on June 14 behind five hitless innings, though he walked four, but was then defeated by the hosting club five days later by a 5-2 margin. McCullers allowed five runs -- three earned -- on six hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings.

The outing matched the shortest of the 21-year-old's brief career and he has struck out 46 batters to 13 walks over 40 1/3 innings.

The Angels counter with Matt Shoemaker, who also is coming off consecutive outings against the same opponent.

Shoemaker lost 8-1 at home to Oakland on June 14, charged with four runs -- three earned -- on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five without a walk five days before he didn't factor into a 12-7 win over the hosting Athletics. The righty yielded five runs over four innings in that outing.

Shoemaker is now 4-5 with a 5.20 ERA on the year and 1-1 lifetime against the Astros with an 8.76 ERA in four games with two starts. The 28-year-old was pounded for six runs over three innings in a 6-5 loss to Houston on May 9, serving up homers to Jose Altuve, Chris Carter and Colby Rasmus.

The Angels and Astros split a four-game set in Anaheim in the most recent meeting from May 7-10.