Texans player of the game
Hopkins dominates, helps Texans escape New York
Dec 15, 2018, 6:47 pm
Texans player of the game
On a day where the protection was suspect and the rushing attack struggled, the Texans leaned again on the NFL's best pass catcher. DeAndre Hopkins caught 10 passes for 170 yards on his way to helping the Texans win on the road against the Jets.
Hopkins came up huge with the Texans down three late in the game. Hopkins caught a quick strike from Deshaun Watson and took it 20 yards for some rare second-half success for the Texans offense. Later in the drive Hopkins, as he is apt to do, drew a defensive holding penalty giving the Texans a fresh set of downs. Another Watson pass found Hopkins for a first down that would set up yet another amazing Hopkins play.
With Morris Claiborne draped all over him, Hopkins reached out and snagged the ball for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Texans the lead late in the fourth quarter.
Hopkins regularly took advantage of the space the Jets allowed him in zones hauling in catch after catch. He was the only Texans player to actually get in a rhythm on offense having another huge day. Watson leaned on him in critical moments as Hopkins beat almost everything the Jets threw at him.
Hopkins appeared to get hurt late in the game. He was carried off the field by teammates but was seen on the bench and not the trainer's table. He also reappeared for the rushing plays to run the clock. After the game he told the NFL Network he rolled his ankle.
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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