Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa will try to extend his hitting streak to a career-long 17 games when he faces the visiting Kansas City Royals in the middle game of their three-game series on Tuesday night.
Correa went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the series opener on Monday night to help the Astros to a 6-4 victory, their third straight.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch said the hitting streak shouldn’t overshadow all the different ways that Correa contributes.
“He’s having great at-bats. He’s hitting the ball hard, he’s hitting the ball out of the ballpark, playing great defense, and all that together is very much the Carlos Correa that we expect to get,” Hinch told reporters following the game. “He’s had some really good stretches. This is one of them.”
The Astros hit a pair of solo home runs early in Monday’s win, but the Royals matched them with a pair of two-run homers to briefly take the lead. Houston catcher Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run blast in the sixth inning to move the Astros ahead for good.
“This place is a little unforgiving,” Royals manager Ned Yost said of Minute Maid Park. “You’re never out of the game. You can get a bloop single, and a fly ball is a home run.”
Collin McHugh is scheduled to start on the mound for the Astros, and the veteran right-hander could use a change of fortune, something the Royals have provided in the past.
McHugh has not allowed a run in 18 innings against Kansas City in his career.
McHugh (3-3, 4.97 ERA) has allowed 17 runs (16 earned) in his past three outings covering 15 innings, however, raising his ERA from 1.96 to 4.97.
McHugh looked closer to his former self in his last start on Wednesday, allowing four runs and five hits in six innings at the Minnesota Twins, but he took the loss when the Astros fell 6-2.
McHugh has made five appearances against Kansas City in his career, including two starts that helped turn things around.
After losing his first three decisions in May 2014, he threw seven shutout innings in a 3-0 win in Kansas City on May 27 of that month.
Nearly two years later, after lasting just 1/3 of an inning in his season opener against the New York Yankees, McHugh threw another seven shutout innings against the Royals in an 8-2 win in Houston on April 11, 2016. He also faced them three times in relief over a nine-day span last June without allowing a run.
Among the current Kansas City players, Alex Gordon has had the most success against McHugh, going 3-for-8 with a double.
Danny Duffy (0-1, 3.27 ERA) is scheduled to make his third start of the season after remaining in Arizona for more fine-tuning after getting shut down in the middle of spring training because of shoulder soreness.
The Royals have only scored one run in each of Duffy’s first two starts. He most recently allowed one run and six hits in six innings for a no-decision in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.
“I still feel like I have a good fastball,” Duffy said afterward.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is 9-for-19 in his career off Duffy with three doubles and no strikeouts.