GURRIEL'S MASSIVE DAY LEADS TO ANOTHER EASY WIN

Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 14-3 win

Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 3 hits from the 14-3 win
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

The Astros wrapped up their brief two-game series with Colorado in a Wednesday afternoon game. Here is a quick rundown of the final matchup of the quick two-game series:

Final Score: 14-3 Astros.

Record: 75-40, first in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Gerrit Cole, 14-5.

Losing pitcher: Peter Lambert, 2-3.

1) Oh, Yuli

Yuli Gurriel matched an Astros record with 8 RBI in one game, almost singlehandly beating the Rockies. Gurriel finished 2 for 4 and had a three-run homer, a double with the bases loaded, a sac fly and a fielder's choice RBI. But the offense was so good, they did not even need Gurriel to win this one. Alex Bregman also drove in three runs and the Astros put up a 9-spot on Colorado's starter, Lambert.

2) Cole blooded

Cole did his thing once again, tossing six innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out 10. Cole did not walk a batter. The Cy Young race appears to be down to Cole and teammate Justin Verlander.

3) How good is Yordan Alvarez?

No, he didn't drive in a run. But he added another three hits. The league has had plenty of time to adjust to him, and yet he is still hitting .340. Today was Gurriel's day, but the Astros are loaded with players who can dominant a game at any given time. Alvarez is yet another of those to go along with Gurriel, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Jose Altuve. What a huge addition.

Up next 

The Astros get a day off before heading to Baltimore for a three-game series against the struggling Orioles. The Astros will send out Wade Miley on Friday, Aaron Sanchez on Saturday and Justin Verlander on Sunday. The Orioles have the second worst record in the American League.

The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.

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Kyle Tucker returns to Houston this weekend. Composite Getty Image.

Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.

The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.

The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.

On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.

Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.

It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.

The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.

How the mighty have fallen.

Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.

Screenshot via: MLB.com



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