Astros look to begin long-awaited rebound vs. A's

(Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)
Even with their victory over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, the Houston Astros remain 10 games under .500 and desperately need a long string of victories to build something resembling significant momentum.

To that end, the Astros should view the bounce-back performance delivered by veteran right-hander Justin Verlander on Sunday as a microcosm of their greater overall hopes.