Notes & Numbers: G9 - Royals at Astros

Game 3 of a four-game set with the Royals, which features the biggest on-paper mismatch of the young season: Yordano Ventura vs. Scott Feldman.

The Astros are now 3-5, the same record they had after eight games in 2015. They have allowed 45 runs on the season - 21 of those coming in the first two innings. Astros runs allowed by inning:

1st: 14
2nd: 7
3rd: 5
4th: 3
5th: 3
6th: 2
7th: 6
8th: 5
9th: 0

The Astros have yet to win a game in which they did not score 5+ runs and have already lost three games in which they held the lead. They are 2-2 when allowing three or fewer runs.

Yordano Ventura pitched against the Astros three times last season - once in the regular season and twice in the postseason. His regular season start in Kansas City saw him throw 7IP, 6H/1ER, 5K:0BB. In two postseason starts, Ventura made it a total of 7IP, with 8H/6ER, 10K:4BB and 2HR allowed.

In Ventura's first start of the season, last Friday against the Twins, he held them to 2H/2ER despite walking six batters, something he only did once in 2015. The Royals are 1-0 in his starts in 2016 and were 16-12 in Ventura's 2015 starts.

Combined the Astros are hitting .303/.387/.515 off of Ventura. Carlos Correa is 4x5 with two doubles and a homer off of him; Jason Castro (!) is 4x11 with a double. George Springer is 1x4 with 2K:3BB.

Scott Feldman will try to join Collin McHugh (and, to an extent, Mike Fiers) in hoping that the first time around was just a bad start. Last Friday at Milwaukee Feldman allowed 5H/4ER, 5K:3BB in 4IP and was generally terrible.

He pitched against the Royals once in 2015, allowing 4H/1ER, 2K:1BB in 7.2IP. The Royals combined are hitting .243/.283/.297 off of Feldman in their careers.

Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain have done most of the damage: Gordon is 10x23 with a 1.065 OPS off of Feldman, and Cain is 7x13 with a 1.154 OPS. Alcides Escobar is 4x20, Eric Hosmer is 2x18, Kendrys Morales ix 3x19, Sal Perez and Mike Moustakas are each 3x17 against Scott Feldman.