Astros host the Rangers in first of 3-game series

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Texas Rangers (21-22, third in the AL West) vs. Houston Astros (17-28, fourth in the AL West)

Houston; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Rangers: Jack Leiter (1-3, 4.85 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 49 strikeouts); Astros: Spencer Arrighetti (4-1, 1.88 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 30 strikeouts)

LINE: Astros -110, Rangers -110; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Houston Astros open a three-game series at home against the Texas Rangers on Friday.

Houston has a 17-28 record overall and a 10-13 record at home. The Astros have the fourth-best team slugging percentage in the majors at .418.

Texas has a 21-22 record overall and a 10-12 record on the road. The Rangers are 15-7 in games when they record eight or more hits.

The matchup Friday is the first meeting this season between the two clubs.

TOP PERFORMERS: Yordan Alvarez leads the Astros with 25 extra base hits (11 doubles and 14 home runs). Braden Shewmake is 13 for 32 with a double, two home runs and five RBIs over the past 10 games.

Josh Jung has 13 doubles and five home runs while hitting .325 for the Rangers. Ezequiel Duran is 12 for 37 with three doubles, a triple and two home runs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Astros: 3-7, .204 batting average, 5.06 ERA, outscored by 25 runs

Rangers: 5-5, .226 batting average, 3.93 ERA, outscored by five runs

INJURIES: Astros: Jeremy Pena: 10-Day IL (knee), Joey Loperfido: 10-Day IL (quadricep), Hunter Brown: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Bennett Sousa: 15-Day IL (elbow), Carlos Correa: 10-Day IL (ankle), Yainer Diaz: 10-Day IL (abdominal), Jake Meyers: 10-Day IL (oblique), Nate Pearson: 15-Day IL (elbow), Taylor Trammell: 10-Day IL (groin), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Brandon Walter: 60-Day IL (elbow), Ronel Blanco: 60-Day IL (elbow), Josh Hader: 60-Day IL (biceps), Hayden Wesneski: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Rangers: Wyatt Langford: 10-Day IL (forearm), Carter Baumler: 15-Day IL (ribs), Nathan Eovaldi: day-to-day (side), Robert Garcia: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Josh Smith: 10-Day IL (glute), Cody Freeman: 10-Day IL (back ), Chris Martin: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Cody Bradford: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Curvelo: 15-Day IL (biceps), Jordan Montgomery: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.