HOUSTON -- Mired in a prolonged offensive slump, the Houston Astros enter a decisive series against a recent nemesis at precisely the wrong time. Wholesale NFL Jerseys .The Astros are 1-9 against the Texas Rangers this season and have lost 17 of the past 20 games in the Lone Star Series. The American League West rivals open a three-game set at Minute Maid Park on Friday.Houston (56-52) lost for the eighth time in 10 games Thursday night, falling 4-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Astros have scored 21 runs during that span to fall 6 1/2 games behind the Rangers (63-46) in the division.When we get a chance to play against a team thats in front of us, thats always an opportunity, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. I look at it as weve got to worry about ourselves and playing our brand of baseball no matter if were playing the Blue Jays, the Rangers, the Twins, Toronto next week. Our schedule is pretty tough the next couple of months, and theyre next on the docket.I wasnt circling this series as the end all, be all. Weve got to play all of our games, but it will be nice to get back in the division and get a look at their new team. Theyre the team people are chasing, so why wouldnt you want to play them?Left-hander Dallas Keuchel (6-11, 4.86 ERA) will make his 18th career start against the Rangers, his most against any opponent. Keuchel is 4-7 with a 4.58 ERA in his career against Texas, including 0-3 with a 7.91 ERA in three starts this season.Keuchel recorded seven consecutive quality starts before getting shelled in Detroit on Sunday, allowing seven runs on seven hits in five innings. That marked his fourth start this season of less than six innings.The Rangers, who salvaged the series finale against the Baltimore Orioles with a 5-3 victory Thursday night, will turn to left-hander Martin Perez (7-7, 4.22 ERA) in the opener. Perez defeated the Astros 5-3 on June 9, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts over six innings. He is 5-2 with a 1.88 ERA in seven career starts against Houston.Texas is working to integrate a pair of deadline-deal acquisitions into its offense: designated hitter Carlos Beltran and catcher Jonathan Lucroy. The Rangers traded with the New York Yankees to land Beltran while getting Lucroy from the Milwaukee Brewers at Mondays non-waiver deadline.The Rangers recorded a season-high six doubles Thursday as part of their seven extra-base hits, also a season high. It was Lucroy who delivered the non-double extra-base knock, belting his first home run with his new club.Any time you have extra-base hits like that, you have guys that can put some numbers up offensively, Lucroy told MLB.com. I think any one of these guys in that lineup out there can do that. Theres a lot of different weapons and a lot of different ways we can hurt you.Texas manager Jeff Banister added, To get away with this win tonight (in a) close ballgame is (good). Our guys got some nice production up and down the lineup. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Cheap Football Jerseys China . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. http://www.jerseyswholesale.us/ . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. The Chicago White Sox have activated first baseman Justin Morneau from the disabled list and promoted top pitching prospect Carson Fulmer from the minor leagues.The White Sox, who are seven games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians in the AL Central, added Morneau and Fulmer as part of a series of roster moves before Fridays game against the Los Angeles Angels.Morneau, a former American League MVP, signed a one-year, $1 million deal with the White Sox last month after undergoing offseason elbow surgery. He batted .174 in eight games during his minor league rehab assignment over the past 11 days.Getting back here was difficult, Morneau said. And now its the beginning of hopefully the good stuff.Fulmer was the No. 8 pick in last years draft and appeared in the All-Star Futures Game this past weekend in San Diego. The right-hander has pitched exclusively as a starter in the minors, but the White Sox reportedly are considering using him out of the bullpen.White Sox manager Robin Ventura hinted last week that the organization could add Fulmer as a reliever, similar to the way Carlos Rodon and Chris Sale broke into the majors.Youre trying to see if a kid can do it, and we did it with Carlos a little bit, and Chris has done it, Ventura told the Chicago Tribune. You bring em up here andd you bring em through out of the bullpen and see if you can lighten their load a little bit and then see how they handle it. Cheap China Jerseys Authentic. .Atlanta Braves top prospect Dansby Swanson, Fulmers college teammate at Vanderbilt, tweeted Friday morning to congratulate Fulmer.Morneau won the 2014 NL batting title when he hit .319 for Colorado. He was the MVP in 2006 with Minnesota when the Twins fought the White Sox for supremacy in the AL Central.Morneau also batted .310 in only 49 games with the Rockies last season. Hes had concussion issues and has been slow to recover from surgery to repair the primary flexor in his elbow.Fulmer, 22, is 4-9 with a 4.76 ERA in 17 starts this season at Double-A Birmingham. But he has pitched better over his past three starts, allowing just two runs over 19 innings.Im just getting ahead, Fulmer told MiLB.com over the weekend. I felt like I fell behind a lot of guys and I paid for it. Im just coming out with a strike-one mentality and just pounding the strike zone.In a corresponding roster move Friday, the White Sox optioned outfielder Jason Coats to Triple-A Charlotte.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. 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