On Deck: What to look for during Astros/Dodgers

The Houston Astros passed their opening weekend test against the Seattle Mariners, taking three of four from their AL West rivals and entering Tuesday with a record of 3-1. Currently, they're tied with the Oakland Athletics and Tamba Bay Rays for the best record in the American League.

Now, a vaunted opponent comes to Houston; the Los Angeles Dodgers. The history between the two teams is well-documented, and tensions only rose after the Astros' cheating scandal reached the public. Outfielder Cody Bellinger was among the more vocal aggressors against the Astros, calling out José Altuve for his MVP award in 2017, as well as how he and the Dodgers were "robbed" in the 2017 World Series.

The two teams will meet for the first time since the scandal, and for the second time since that historic 2017 World Series. The last time the Dodgers were in Houston, arguably the best World Series game ever took place in Game 5, which the Astros walked off in the top of the tenth inning. Things have changed substantially since then -- personnel and league-wise -- but there remains baseball to be played between the two powerhouse teams. Here are three things I'm looking for heading into Tuesday and Wednesday.

1. How will Framber Valdez fare?

After an electric 2018, young pitcher Framber Valdez regressed considerably in 2019, going from a 2.19 ERA to a 5.86 ERA over the span of a single year. The biggest problem Valdez faced was command; his pitch repertoire is as good as any on the roster, but only when he's able to throw for strikes. That lack of control really bit him in his second year in the majors.

Dusty Baker raved about how much he loved watching Framber pitch in the Spring and Summer, but now his first test of his third year will come against one of the best lineups in baseball. Though some of their bigger names are off to slow starts (2018 AL MVP Mookie Betts is hitting .150, while Bellinger is hitting .235), the Dodgers are as lethal a hitting team as any.

"I feel this is a big opportunity to establish myself as a starter on this team, and I've done everything I can to really prepare myself for that opportunity," Valdez said to reporters prior to the season. "This is a huge opportunity... All I've done is just focus on myself and what I can do, to make sure that I'm in the best position possible to establish myself this year."

It would seem Valdez's opportunity to show just how much he's improved has arrived. One would imagine that Valdez's leash is short, considering the team he's playing and how early in the season it is, but it will be interesting to see just how much leeway Baker gives Valdez in his first start of 2020.

2. Will the "others" keep it going?

The usual suspects got off to good starts to the season -- Altuve, Bregman and Brantley -- but other members of the hitting core for the Astros stepped up in a big way this past weekend. Michael Brantley leads the team in batting average, but right behind him is Martín Maldonado (.455), who is also tied for the team lead with Brantley in runs batted in (6).

Additionally, outfielder Josh Reddick is third on the team in OPS through four games. Fellow outfielder Kyle Tucker flashed promised in his few starts, as did Abraham Toro, who impressed in his few AB's. Even Dustin Garneau, the team's backup catcher, performed well in the final game of the series, earning an RBI triple in his start yesterday.

Granted, none of this points to anything substantial, and it's hard to imagine any of these players maintaining this kind of pace for the full season, but their performances are admirable to say the least. Plus, it's fun to think about what might happen if this isn't a fluke -- Imagine a lineup where pitchers not only have to worry about the top part of the lineup, which features an MVP, one of the league's best leadoff men, and the man who finished third in MVP voting last year, but also the bottom part of the lineup?

It remains to be seen if this is a hopeful trend or a one-off performance by the lesser-heralded guys on the roster, but in the event its the former, it could turn the tides in this two-game set against the Dodgers.

3. Who's pitching Wednesday?

It might be the team's biggest question heading into this series. With Verlander's injury, the game he was supposed to start is now left vacant. So, who will try and fill the reigning Cy Young winner's shoes in his absence?

The likeliest outcome is a bullpen day. While there are some pitchers you could stretch as "starters" in the Astros' bullpen, it will likely be combined effort to keep the Dodgers at bay. Cy Sneed is a name to keep an eye on; he's pitched multiple innings in previous games before. Brandon Bielak, yesterday's hero, is also a candidate to get some run on Wednesday, provided he gets enough rest before the game.

Unless one particular pitcher performs exceptionally well against Los Angeles, expect multiple names to appear on the pitching logs for the Astros on Wednesday. While Baker might pencil in a name for a presumed starter, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Dusty utilize an opener a-la-Rays in an effort to throw off the Dodgers. Blake Taylor, who pitched Sunday, might be likeliest man for the job.

All in all, no one excluding Baker himself really knows who will toe the mound for the Astros on Wednesday. The most the fans can do is hope that whoever goes out and pitches does a good enough job.