The Houston Astros (48-33) face the Cleveland Indians (42-35) in a crucial four-game series at Progressive Field starting Thursday. Both teams enter the series looking to bounce back from recent losses, with Houston coming off a sweep by Baltimore and Cleveland dropping two of three to Detroit.

Series Schedule (All times ET)

• Thursday, July 1 - 7:10 pm
• Friday, July 2 - 7:10 pm
• Saturday, July 3 - 7:15 pm
• Sunday, July 4 - 1:10 pm

Pitching Matchups

• Thursday: Framber Valdez (4-1, 2.11 ERA) vs. J.C. Mejia (1-2, 4.94 ERA)
• Friday: Lance McCullers Jr. (5-1, 2.94 ERA) vs. Sam Hentges (1-2, 7.32 ERA)
• Saturday: Jake Odorizzi (2-3, 4.08 ERA) vs. Eli Morgan (1-2, 9.37 ERA)
• Sunday: Zack Greinke (8-2, 3.65 ERA) vs. TBD

Team Statistics

• Astros lead MLB in runs (5.65/game), hits (9.56/game), batting average (.277), and OBP (.352)
• Indians rank 14th in scoring (4.43 runs/game)
• Astros allow 4.03 runs/game (9th), Indians allow 4.36 (15th)

Key Players Astros:

• Jose Altuve: 17 HR
• Michael Brantley: .340/.383/.492, 4 HR, 30 RBI
• Out: Alex Bregman (quad), Martin Maldonado (bereavement)

Indians:

• Jose Ramirez: 18 HR, 50 RBI, 53 runs
• Bobby Bradley: Hot streak with 3 HR last week
• Out: Shane Bieber and Aaron Civale (injured)

The Indians look to capitalize on Houston's struggling bullpen, while the Astros aim to leverage their league-best offense to get back on track. Cleveland's depleted starting rotation faces a tough test against Houston's powerful lineup.

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