Astros vs. Dodgers Game Thread: Game 38, 5/6/2026

TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (15-22) and Los Angeles Dodgers (22-14) will play the rubber game of their three-game series today in an afternoon matinee at Daikin Park.

RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (2-2, 6.32 ERA), who picked up the win in his last start on April 20 at BAL (3ER/6IP), will make his seventh start of the season today opposite RHP Tyler Glasnow (3-0, 2.56 ERA) and the Dodgers.

LMJ VS. LAD: RHP Lance McCullers Jr. is 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA (3ER/23.2IP) in four career regular season starts vs. the Dodgers, which includes a victory last season on July 4, 2025 at Dodger Stadium (1ER/6IP) in an 18-1 Astros win.

McCullers also faced the Dodgers twice in the 2017 World Series, starting Game 3 (3ER/5.1IP) and Game 7 (0ER/2.1IP), both resulting in Astros victories.

TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have recalled IF Shay Whitcomb from Triple A Sugar Land and have placed IF Carlos Correa on the 10-day IL with a left ankle tendon injury (retro to May 5). The injury is expected to sideline Correa for the remainder of the 2026 season.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TUVE!: Happy Birthday to Astros legend 2B Jose Altuve, as he turns a spry 36 years old today. Altuve shares his birthday with the late Hall of Famer Willie Mays and veteran reliever Larry Andersen, who famously netted the Astros 1B Jeff Bagwell in a straight up trade with the Red Sox in 1990.

FAMILIAR FOE: After homering last night, 1B Christian Walker has 30 career homers vs. the Dodgers (in 95 games), which are his most against any opponent. His .879 career OPS vs. LAD is the highest among any active player (min. 300 PA), while his 30 HR rank third among active players.

HIT PAREDES: IF Isaac Paredes has hit safely in 12 of his last 15 games dating back to April 19, a span in which he’s hitting .339 (19×56) with two doubles, three homers, nine RBI and a .948 OPS.

Additionally, he’s reached base safely in 10 straight games, posting a .442 OBP in that span.

DOWN IN THE LAND: Three Astros pitchers were on rehab assignments last night at Triple A Sugar Land as they hosted the Albuquerque Isotopes (COL).

RHP Tatsuya Imai (arm fatigue) tossed 3.0 innings of one-run ball, LHP Josh Hader (left biceps tendinitis) worked 1.0 scoreless inning and RHP Nate Pearson (recovery from right elbow surgery) tossed 0.2 of an inning (1ER).

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2021 – On his 31st birthday, 2B Jose Altuve hits a go-ahead, three-run homer in the 8th inning in the Astros 7-4 win over the Yankees in the Bronx.

Trailing 3-2 in the 8th, Altuve took RHP Chad Green deep to flip the game. Altuve has played in a Major League game on May 6 on 10 occasions, with this being his only career homer on his birthday.