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HOUSTON -- Oakland Athletics rookie right-hander Daniel Mengden, a Houston native drafted by his hometown franchise, will get an opportunity to show the Astros what theyre missing Friday at Minute Maid Park.Mengden (1-4, 3.48 ERA) will make his first career start against the organization that selected him in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. Mengden was packaged along with catcher Jacob Nottingham in the deal that sent veteran left-hander Scott Kazmir to Houston on July 23, 2015.Selected from Triple-A Nashville on June 11, Mengden will make his sixth start of the career. His 31 strikeouts are tied for second in franchise history (since 1913) for the most by a pitcher over his first five appearances (Tim Hudson, 33 in 1999). Mengden, a product of nearby Texas A&M, began the season at Double-A Midland and finished 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA before his promotion to Nashville on May 1.With the Sounds, Mengden went 3-1 with a 1.39 ERA in seven starts. His ERA was the sixth-lowest in the minors at the time of his promotion.And while Mengden will get the first crack at helping Oakland (37-49) make it two in a row over the Astros following the Athletics 3-1 win on Friday night, the Oakland bullpen will also play a key role.Right-handers John Axford, Ryan Dull and Ryan Madson combined to work three perfect innings in the series opener, with Axford first relieving lefty Ken Hill and notching two strikeouts in the seventh inning. Axford had struggled of late, blowing two saves while posting an 18.00 ERA over his last six appearances.That was great to see, Athletics manager Bob Melvin. Weve seen now how effective he can be. Hes gone through a little bit of a tough stretch, obviously. I think looking at his history hes had some stretches through the course of the season where he hasnt been as effective and he works hard to get through it, but I think this was a big game for him to pitch in a close game like that, get a 1-2-3 inning. He looked good.Right-hander Collin McHugh (5-6, 4.50 ERA) will make his 18th start of the season for the Astros. He allowed four runs on five hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings in his lone appearance against the Athletics this season but did not factor in the decision. McHugh is 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA in his career against the Athletics, a mark that includes six starts.While the Astros (46-40) will get an opportunity to improve to 12 games over .500 against right-handed starters, they fell to 11-16 against southpaw starters, a surprising record given the right-handed presence of George Springer, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa in their lineup.We can certainly hit left-handed pitching, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. Weve got guys who can do it. Weve got a few guys hitting under their career norms, and thats never good. Halfway through the season, I dont think we can declare that we cant hit lefties. I think weve got some left-handed pitchers we arent racing up to the batters box to face. 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Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. CLEVELAND -- The guy who has spent the last three months possibly redefining what it means to be a closer remains in awe of the guy who took his job this spring.Sorry, Andrew Miller cant help it. Aroldis Chapmans stuff is so electric, its impossible to turn away.I love watching him pitch, Miller said. I dont change the channel when hes on TV.At the moment, his view is even better. The Cleveland Indians reliever can just glance over at the Chicago Cubs bullpen during the World Series to get his fix of Chapmans seemingly endless stream of triple-digit fastballs.Theres a perception that its easy for him because hes such an outlier, Miller said. But hes got a tremendous work ethic and in the way he goes about getting himself prepared.Miller would know. They were in the bullpen together for 2+ months with the New York Yankees this season. New York acquired Chapman last December, and the Cuban left-hander bumped Miller to a setup role when he returned from a domestic violence suspension in May. Miller had tied for second in the AL with 36 saves the year before.The experiment lasted until the trade deadline. Treading water in late July, the Yankees sent Chapman to the Cubs and Miller to the Indians in exchange for prospects while committing to a full rebuild.Three months later, the two players who began the season trying to help the Yankees win a 28th World Series title find themselves playing vital roles on teams that have combined for a small fraction of that number (four). Miller and the Indians can clinch the clubs first championship since 1948 on Tuesday night in Game 6, while Chapman and the Cubs are hoping for a chance to send it to a deciding Game 7 as Chicago tries to end a 108-year drought.On the surface, Miller and Chapman could be carbon copies of each other: hard-throwing lefties who overwhelm batters with power. The reality is a bit more complex thanks in large part to the unorthodox way Cleveland manager Terry Francona deploys Miller.In an era of clearly defined bullpen roles, Francona uses Miller as a 6-foot-7 piece of duct tape. Sometimes, the seventh inning needs to be patched up. Sometimes the eighth. Sometimes the sixth. Sometimes, all three. And Miller, a former first-round pick who spent the first half of his career trying to make it as a starter before the Boston Red Sox gave up and converted him into a reliever in 2012, has responded by putting together one of the most ddominant postseason runs ever.ddddddddddddNine times during the playoffs, Miller has jogged to the mound. The Indians are undefeated in those nine games. Its not a coincidence. Hes entered as early as the fifth and as late as the eighth, recording at least four outs in every appearance. His numbers -- 2-0 with a save and a 0.36 ERA, striking out 39 against just five walks -- look like a typo or something out of a video game where fatigue has been turned off.Theyre not.Andrews the model of just pitch whenever, Francona said. The kids unbelievable.Even Miller is having a hard time describing the run hes on, one fueled by a nearly unhittable slider that forces batters like Chicago first baseman Anthony Rizzo to play the baseball version of the lottery every time they swing.You just hope you pick the right lane, Rizzo said.Almost nobody has. Opponents are hitting .140 against Miller, who doesnt seem to tire whether hes throwing 17 pitches or 37. He attributes his elasticity to the gadgetry Clevelands training staff uses to keep him fresh and the survival instincts honed from the days when he was simply clinging to a spot on a major league roster.Its not something you offer, its something you have to have, he said. If youre not flexible, youre not going to have a spot in the big leagues.Besides, as Miller points out, theres very few closers who become closers right away and fall into that routine.Meaning closers like Chapman, who took over the job in Cincinnati in 2012 and proceeded to make four straight All-Star teams. The 28-year-old is a meticulous creature of habit, so used to being used in the ninth inning -- and almost exclusively the ninth inning -- that Cubs manager Joe Maddon checked with Chapman before Game 5 about entering earlier.The call ended up coming with one out in the seventh and Chicago up a run. Chapman responded by allowing just one hit over 2 2/3 innings to preserve a 3-2 victory and pick up his fourth save of the playoffs. The way Chapman went about his business, it was almost Miller-esque.That was impressive, Francona said. I mean, kind of like what Andrews done, he kind of did the same thing.Its a performance the Cubs would love to see a couple more times.I like our chances when hes in the game, Cubs catcher David Ross said. Hes a presence. ' ' '