Astros Facing Daunting Weekend Task With Brewers Probable Pitchers

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña (3) reacts as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run. Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Astros Facing Daunting Weekend Task With Brewers Probable Pitchers

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Scott Roche | Last updated May 29, 2026 2:00 PM ET

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Don't look now, but the Houston Astros are creeping back into the American League West race.

Entering the fourth and final game of their four-game series with the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, the Astros were just three games behind the Athletics for the top spot in the division. All five teams in the AL West are currently under .500. Houston took the series final and now sits well within striking distance in the division.

Whether or not Houston can stay in the race or playoff all summer remains to be seen. They are devastated with injuries, but their recent stretch that included a combined no-hitter on Monday night against the Rangers gave some reason for hope.

Last weekend, Joe Espada's crew swept the Chicago Cubs on the North Side before heading to Arlington for their four-game series. Following the road trip, the Astros traveled back home to begin a homestand against the National League Central Division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Astros Probable Matchups Against the Brewers

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

This will be a series that challenges the Astros in terms of their recent streak and they are going to face Milwaukee's best arm in youngster Jacob Misiorowski to close out the series.

Friday: Kai-Wei Teng vs. Coleman Crow
Saturday: Peter Lambert vs. Brandon Sproat
Sunday: Tatsuya Imai vs. Jacob Misiorowski

There are a lot of good matchups on the slate for this weekend. Lambert will be looking to improve a bit after working 18 innings in his last three starts, allowing 14 hits and 11 earned runs combined against the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, and Cubs. Sproat was part of Milwaukee's trade return from the New York Mets in exchange for pitcher Freddy Peralta back in January. The former University of Florida standout will be making his ninth start and looking for consistency.

Sunday's matchup is a must-watch one. Can Imai follow up his no-hit performance over six innings that ended up leading to a combined no-hitter against Texas on Monday night? He struggled a bit with command, walking four and only striking out two, but it was his best performance since returning from an injury earlier in the season.

Misiorowski is one of the top pitchers in the National League with his 5-2 record and 1.83 ERA. He already has 100 strikeouts. The 24-year-old is becoming one of the must-see pitchers every fifth day. Houston has been playing very well as of late and this series is truly a big test for Espada's shorthanded club.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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