Astros betting on dominant Minor League arm in Wednesday start

Astros Joe Espada
Manager Joe Espada is hoping Colton Gordon can deliver for Houston. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros are set to promote left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon from Triple-A Sugar Land to make his major league debut on Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Gordon, 26, has been impressive this season with the Space Cowboys, posting a 4-0 record and a 2.55 ERA over 42⅓ innings, along with 43 strikeouts and a 1.20 WHIP. He last pitched on May 9, delivering six innings with nine strikeouts and no walks.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Gordon was selected by the Astros in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Central Florida.

Gordon's promotion comes as the Astros navigate a stretch of 17 consecutive games without a day off. The team plans to utilize a six-man rotation during this period, and Gordon's addition helps fill the gap left by Hayden Wesneski, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with elbow soreness.

He will face Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who enters the game with a 3-3 record and a 3.57 ERA over 45⅓ innings this season.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT at Daikin Park.


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Two of the league's top lefties square off. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros will look to even their season series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night as they return to Daikin Park for what promises to be a tightly contested matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET, with two left-handers taking the mound—Framber Valdez for Houston and Kris Bubic for Kansas City.

The Royals come into the game riding a three-game road winning streak and holding a 3-1 edge in the season series. Winners of eight of their last ten games, Kansas City has been one of the hottest teams in baseball lately, thanks in large part to their league-best 3.01 ERA. Bubic has been a key part of that success, boasting a 4-2 record and an impressive 1.69 ERA over 47 strikeouts this season.

Meanwhile, the Astros are trying to find some consistency. At 20-20 overall, Houston has been streaky to start the year, but they’ve been strong at home with a 13-9 record. When they out-hit their opponents, they’re a formidable 16-8, and they’ll be hoping the bats show up again Tuesday.

Framber Valdez will get the ball for the Astros. While his 2-4 record doesn’t reflect it, he’s been steady with a 3.94 ERA and 44 strikeouts. He’ll face a Kansas City lineup that’s been clicking—especially Maikel Garcia, who’s hitting .295 with 10 doubles and 17 RBIs on the year, and Vinnie Pasquantino, who’s batting .349 over his last ten games.

Houston’s lineup has some heat of its own. Jeremy Peña leads the team with five home runs, and Yainer Díaz has been scorching over the past ten games, going 16-for-43 with two homers and nine RBIs.

The Royals have outscored opponents by 16 runs over their last ten games, while the Astros have managed a +6 differential in that span despite going 4-6. With two talented pitchers on the mound and both offenses showing signs of life, Tuesday’s game could come down to which team capitalizes on the small moments.

The Astros are slight favorites according to BetMGM (-141), but with the way Kansas City has been playing, this one feels like it could go either way.


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