The Houston Astros and Washington Nationals will square off Wednesday afternoon in the rubber match of their three-game set, with first pitch scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET at Daikin Park.

After splitting the first two games, the Nationals taking Monday’s opener in a tight 2-1 contest, and the Astros responding Tuesday night to snap a five-game skid, the series finale sets up as a tone-setter for both clubs.

The Astros, who sit atop the AL West at 61-47, will hand the ball to right-hander Ryan Gusto (6-4, 5.18 ERA), who’s looking to bounce back from a rough outing in his last start. Gusto has shown flashes of potential but has struggled with consistency, posting a 1.48 WHIP across 80 innings. Houston is 34-24 at home and has a strong track record when its bats get going. The club is 41-19 when recording at least eight hits.

The Nationals counter with lefty MacKenzie Gore (4-10, 3.52 ERA), whose numbers don’t tell the full story. Despite the losing record, Gore has been Washington’s most electric arm this season, tallying 144 strikeouts with a 1.27 WHIP. He’ll look to quiet a Houston offense that’s been up and down of late, hitting .249 over its last 10 games.

Veteran second baseman Jose Altuve remains the heartbeat of the Astros lineup, entering Wednesday with 17 homers, 17 doubles, and 54 RBIs on the year.

The Nationals, meanwhile, have been led by breakout star James Wood, who’s delivered 45 extra-base hits this season, including 24 home runs. Luis Garcia has also found a groove lately, batting .306 over his last 10 games with a pair of homers and two doubles.

With the series tied, Wednesday’s finale offers a chance for Houston to build momentum at home and for Washington to steal a series on the road. The Astros enter as slight -122 favorites, according to BetMGM, with the over/under set at 8.5 runs.

Altuve back in the leadoff spot?

So what grabs our attention first? How about Jose Altuve leading off? We haven't seen that in a while. He's playing second base today so he doesn't have to worry about running in from left field. Hitting second and catching is Yainer Diaz. We rarely see Diaz this high in the batting order. He's hitting .381 over his last seven games, and Espada has clearly taken notice. Christian Walker (DH) is back in the three-spot, with Cam Smith playing right field and hitting cleanup.

Victor Caratini will hit fifth and play first base, followed by Mauricio Dubon (3B), Cooper Hummel (LF), Chas McCormick (CF), and Zack Short (SS).

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