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Rangers-Astros Preview

Jul 18, 2015 - 6:21 AM Though the Houston Astros must be more productive at the plate, they move forward knowing their skid is behind them.

They've consistently struggled against the Texas Rangers' Colby Lewis, who looks to continue his dominance at Minute Maid Park on Saturday night.

Houston (50-42) has scored 10 runs in seven contests since a 9-4 win at Cleveland on July 6, but it snapped a six-game slide while doing all of its scoring over the second and third innings of Friday's 3-2 victory. The first four hitters in the order combined for six of the nine hits as the Astros won for the fifth straight time and ninth in 11 at home.

"We swung the bats very well early in the game," manager A.J. Hinch said. "That wasn't your typical 3-2 game.''

Things could get tougher against Lewis (8-4, 4.77 ERA), who improved to 5-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.21 as a starter at Houston after allowing a run in eight innings of an 11-3 victory May 6. He's 6-1 with a 1.98 ERA in nine overall starts against the Astros.

Texas' lone defeat in his last six in the series came 6-4 in 14 innings at home April 12, when the right-hander allowed four runs over 7 1-3.

Lewis is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last three road starts for the Rangers (42-47), who have dropped three straight and eight of nine.

Texas recorded 15 hits Friday - the most in franchise history when scoring two or fewer runs - but stranded 10.

''It's been our nemesis throughout this stretch ... not being able to get the big hit when we need it,'' said manager Jeff Banister, whose club has left 63 on base over the last nine. ''You have to believe if you put up 15 hits as a team, we are going to score some runs.''

Scott Feldman (4-4, 4.80) makes his first appearance since landing on the disabled list May 29 with a knee injury that required surgery. The right-hander went 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two rehab starts for Double-A Corpus Christi this month.

The longtime Ranger endured his shortest outing of the season May 5, when he yielded six runs and nine hits in three innings of a 7-1 home loss to his former club.

Elvis Andrus is 6 for 13 with three doubles in the last four games and is batting .375 (9 for 24) with two doubles against Feldman.

Houston's Colby Rasmus is 2 for 24 with 10 strikeouts in his last seven but 5 for 12 with a home run and triple when facing Lewis.

Teammate Chris Carter could be headed to the disabled list after he sprained his right ankle Friday. The first baseman is 0 for his last 18.

"It's possible that he avoids the DL, it's also very possible he wakes up (Saturday) and we have to talk about what's next for the next couple of weeks," Hinch told MLB's official website.

It's uncertain if Shin-soo Choo will be in the Rangers lineup after sitting Friday. The veteran outfielder is 1 for 18 in his last six games and batting .221.

"We still feel that Choo is part of the winning process," Banister said.