ASTROS VS. A'S

5 important elements in Astros push to even series against Athletics

Astros Hunter Brown
Hunter Brown takes the hill for Houston. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.

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.

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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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