Astros Starting Pitchers Tasked With Taking Down Diamondbacks

The Houston Astros took three out of four games against the Chicago White Sox to kick off their homestand, while also creating some breathing room in the AL West standings. Going into the weekend, Houston sits atop the division with a 72-69 record, two games ahead of the Texas Rangers.

Staying in Houston for the weekend, the Astros welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks, who haven't played their best brand of baseball as of late. The Diamondbacks dropped a three-game series to the Philadelphia Phillies, only scoring two runs in three games.

Pitching has to be on the Astros' side going into the series. The pitching staff as a whole has ramped up its competitiveness, and it's flown across the rest of the roster. With Arizona looking to rebound, these Houston starting pitchers have to give the offense a chance to continue to do as it has.

Here's who manager Joe Espada will send to the mound in each of the three games of the series at Daikin Park.

Game 1 - Cristian Javier

Cristian Javier is in need of a quality start after a month when he wasn't very reliable on the mound. In five starts, Javier held a 5.79 ERA in 23.1 innings, allowing 15 earned runs on 30 hits. His strikeouts have improved, however, punching out 21 in August.

Javier has the experience necessary to rebound in the final month of the season, and game one easily favors him with how Arizona has been hitting at the plate. If Javier can get past four innings, potentially pitching into the sixth, Houston should have a chance to continue their winning ways.

Game 2 - Ethan Pecko

Getting his fourth start in his major league career, Ethan Pecko is the probable pitcher to start game two on Saturday. The Astros have won each start in which Pecko has been on the mound, despite the rookie having some trouble pitching against major league batters.

In those three starts, Pecko has a 6.23 ERA, nine strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.54. Staying in the zone will be Pecko's friend for his fourth start, as he'll look to push past the fifth inning to set a new career high in innings pitched in a game.

Game 3 - Peter Lambert

August was a month to forget for Peter Lambert, as he'll make his first start of September in the series finale on Sunday. Lambert's last outing against the New York Yankees saw him pitch 4.2 innings, allowing three hits, walking five and punching out six.

Lambert has been one of the best starters in the rotation this season for Houston, so if there's anyone to turn it around when the franchise needs it most, it will be Lambert.

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