Crucial elements in Astros' push to take division with win over Mariners
Sep 24, 2024, 11:45 am
Framber Valdez can help the Astros clinch the division Tuesday night. Composite Getty Image.
The Seattle Mariners (81-76) and Houston Astros (85-72) face off Tuesday night at 8:10 p.m. EDT for the second game of their crucial three-game series. The Mariners currently hold a 1-0 lead in the series after defeating Houston 6-1 on Monday.
Pitching Probables:
- Mariners: Logan Gilbert (8-11, 3.24 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 207 strikeouts) has been a strong performer for Seattle all season, boasting a WHIP under 1.00. He will look to continue dominating as the Mariners push for playoff contention.
- Astros: Framber Valdez (14-7, 2.85 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 165 strikeouts) gets the start for Houston. Valdez has been the Astros' ace this season, leading the team with 14 wins and a stellar 2.85 ERA.
Line:
- BETMGM Sportsbook: Astros -136, Mariners +115, over/under set at 7 runs.
Bottom Line:
The Mariners, 7-4 against the Astros this season, look to build on their Monday win. Seattle has struggled on the road (35-44), but their MLB-leading 3.51 ERA makes them a tough matchup for Houston. Meanwhile, the Astros are 45-34 at home and boast the third-best team batting average in MLB at .262.
Top Performers:
- Astros: Alex Bregman continues to produce for Houston, with 25 home runs and 73 RBI this season. Kyle Tucker is also in fine form, hitting 13-for-34 with three home runs over the past 10 games.
- Mariners: Julio Rodríguez remains a key player for Seattle, with 19 home runs and 17 doubles. Luke Raley has also been solid recently, going 9-for-31 with two home runs over the last 10 games.
Recent Form:
- Astros: 6-4 in their last 10 games, with a .262 team batting average and 4.45 ERA, outscoring opponents by just three runs.
- Mariners: 7-3 over their last 10 games, hitting .294 with a 3.39 team ERA, outscoring opponents by 14 runs.
Tuesday’s game will be critical for both teams as they battle for playoff positioning in the tight AL West race.
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The MLB postseason is right around the corner, and one of the most popular discussions about the Astros has to be (or at least was) Justin Verlander's role moving forward.
It appears Houston GM Dana Brown plans on reevaluating Verlander's status after the first playoff series.
Which is quite a position reversal compared to his last comments about JV when he broke out the “back of the baseball card” nonsense on the club's flagship station on September 11. Better late than never, I suppose.
With that said, it appears the Astros will role with Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, and Yusei Kikuchi. Which seems like the right choice at the moment.
But now the Astros have another x-factor to navigate. If Yordan Alvarez is able to play with his sprained knee in the postseason, it's hard to imagine he would be playing in left field.
With him locked in at DH, Yainer Diaz will have to either catch or play first base. The same goes for Victor Caratini if he's in the starting lineup. Which also means that games in which both Caratini and Diaz play, Jon Singleton will be on the bench.
We'll likely see a platoon at first between Caratini and Singleton when Diaz is behind the dish. Mauricio Dubon could also factor in.
Which leads us to the outfield. Kyle Tucker is a no-brainer to play right field, and we'll likely see a platoon in left between Jason Heyward and Dubon.
One would assume Jake Meyers gets the nod to play center field due to his excellent play on defense, but you never know. As Chandler Rome noted in his article for The Athletic this week, Meyers has the 4th-worst OPS (.540) in baseball since the All-Star break.
Dubon is starting in center on Tuesday night. Make of that what you will. Could be nothing, or could be something.
We could also see Chas McCormick play some center or left field should he return healthy from his hand/finger injury.
Plus, how many pitchers and position players should the Astros carry in the Wild Card round? Should they keep more hitters so they can pinch hit for guys like Meyers should they find themselves down in a big game?
Don't miss the video above for the full discussion!
*Catch our weekly Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast. Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo discuss varied Astros topics. The first post for the week generally goes up Monday afternoon (second part released Tuesday) via The SportsMap HOU YouTube channel or listen to episodes in their entirety at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.