Astros' Lance McCullers Jr. looks to 'reset' vs. Dodgers

Almost all of the faces are new but there still will be plenty of venom from Los Angeles Dodgers fans when the Houston Astros pay a visit for a three-game series starting Friday.

The teams famously met in the 2017 World Series, which Houston won in a seven-game thriller. It was later revealed the Astros were stealing signs that season with the help of video and relaying pitch types to batters via bangs on a trash can.

The only Dodgers players still remaining from that 2017 series are left-hander Clayton Kershaw and utility man Enrique Hernandez, who departed for more than two seasons before returning in 2023.

Astros players still on the club from 2017 include Jose Altuve and right-hander Lance McCullers Jr.

McCullers (1-3, 6.61 ERA) will get the start Friday, just his ninth of the season and second since returning from a sprained right foot. He went 3 1/3 innings in his return when he was blasted for eight runs on seven hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings by the Chicago Cubs last Saturday.

McCullers allowed three home runs in the team's 12-3 loss. It was one of just two defeats for Houston over the past 10 games.

"I felt my stuff was there and it kind of just feels like I have to reset a little bit," McCullers told reporters afterward. "It doesn't get easier for me. I face the Dodgers next and just gotta keep chugging, gotta keep pushing."

McCullers is 1-0 with a 1.02 ERA in three career encounters versus the Dodgers.

On Wednesday, Altuve moved into second place on the Astros' all-time hit list as Houston earned a 5-3 victory at Colorado. The Astros fell 7-6 to the Rockies on Thursday despite collecting 13 hits as rookie Cam Smith went 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three RBIs.

The first four batters in Houston's lineup combined to go 9-for-19 with five RBIs and five runs.

The Dodgers will send right-hander Ben Casparius (6-2, 3.97) to the mound for his third start. Typically called on for spot starts or bulk innings following an opener, Casparius is built up to where manager Dave Roberts hopes to get five innings out of him Friday.

"Yeah, absolutely, we feel good about that," Roberts said. "Even the last one, coming off being sick (while picking up bulk innings), he still managed to get through (four), so, yeah, I think that he should be able to certainly get through five innings, if not beyond."

The rookie has yet to face the Astros in his career.

The Dodgers enter the series off a three-game home sweep of the Chicago White Sox. They are also 15-3 since June 13 while taking over the best record in baseball at 56-32.

In Thursday's victory over Chicago, the Dodgers received home runs from Mookie Betts and Michael Conforto, while Freddie Freeman drove in three runs on a pair of early doubles. It was Betts' first home run in 21 games.

"Really good signs from Freddie, and then Mookie who was struggling a little bit early (in the game)," Roberts said. "A couple of pop ups, but he hit one for a pull-side home run. I think he'll sleep well tonight, and we've got a big series against the Astros, which will be fun. And he's got a little bit of momentum."