The Houston Astros will look to bounce back in the second game of a three-game series after dropping the opener to the Oakland Athletics. The Astros, sitting atop the AL West with a 77-67 record, have been strong at home this season with a 41-31 record. Oakland, 63-82 overall, enters Wednesday's matchup fresh off a series-opening win, aiming to keep the momentum going.

Pitching probables

The Astros will send Hunter Brown (11-7, 3.41 ERA) to the mound. Brown has been one of Houston’s more consistent pitchers, striking out 161 batters this season while maintaining a 1.27 WHIP. Oakland counters with Joey Estes (6-7, 4.46 ERA), who has a 1.13 WHIP and 86 strikeouts, aiming to contain Houston’s potent offense.

Astros overview

Houston's offense is anchored by Yordan Alvarez, who leads the team with 65 extra-base hits, including 32 home runs. Alex Bregman has also been productive lately, going 9-for-38 with two home runs over the last 10 games. The Astros will need their bats to come alive as they continue their pursuit of solidifying playoff positioning. Houston leads MLB with the eighth-best on-base percentage at .321 and will look to exploit Oakland’s pitching.

Athletics overview

Oakland, though struggling this season, has some bright spots, including Brent Rooker, who leads the team with a .298 batting average and 35 home runs. Lawrence Butler has also been in good form recently, hitting 16-for-42 over his last 10 games. The A's offense will need to capitalize on any opportunities against Hunter Brown, as they look to spoil Houston’s playoff aspirations.

Recent form

The Astros come into the game with a 5-5 record in their last 10 games, batting .259 as a team while posting a 3.40 ERA. Oakland has gone 4-6 over the same stretch, batting .242 with a 4.67 ERA. Though outscored by 23 runs in their last 10 games, the A’s will look to build off their series-opening win.

Betting line

The Astros are heavy favorites at -239, while the Athletics are +194 underdogs. The over/under for total runs in the game is set at 8.

Houston will need to clean up their play if they want to even the series, while Oakland hopes to continue their role as a spoiler.