TALE OF THE TAPE
Houston Astros and Giants clash in decisive series finale
Jun 12, 2024, 10:32 am
Framber Valdez takes the hill for Houston. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Houston Astros (31-37, third in the AL West) vs. San Francisco Giants (33-35, third in the NL West)
San Francisco; Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Framber Valdez (5-3, 3.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 50 strikeouts); Giants: Logan Webb (5-5, 2.92 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 73 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Giants -117, Astros -102; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros meet on Wednesday with the winner claiming the three-game series.
San Francisco has an 18-15 record in home games and a 33-35 record overall. The Giants have gone 9-4 in games when they hit two or more home runs.
Houston has a 14-19 record in road games and a 31-37 record overall. The Astros have the second-best team batting average in MLB play at .259.
Wednesday’s game is the third time these teams meet this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Matt Chapman leads San Francisco with eight home runs while slugging .400. Heliot Ramos is 15-for-39 with four home runs and 10 RBI over the past 10 games.
Alex Bregman has 12 doubles, a triple and nine home runs for the Astros. Yordan Alvarez is 15-for-39 with four doubles, a triple and four home runs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Giants: 4-6, .225 batting average, 4.39 ERA, outscored by six runs
Astros: 6-4, .267 batting average, 3.33 ERA, outscored opponents by 16 runs
INJURIES: Giants: Blake Snell: 15-Day IL (groin), Marco Luciano: 10-Day IL (undisclosed), LaMonte Wade Jr: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jung Hoo Lee: 60-Day IL (labrum), Tom Murphy: 60-Day IL (head), Nick Ahmed: 10-Day IL (wrist), Alex Cobb: 60-Day IL (hip), Ethan Small: 60-Day IL (oblique), Austin Warren: 60-Day IL (elbow), Tristan Beck: 60-Day IL (arm), Robbie Ray: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Astros: Kyle Tucker: 10-Day IL (shin), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (forearm), Spencer Arrighetti: day-to-day (calf), Cristian Javier: 15-Day IL (forearm), Oliver Ortega: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bennett Sousa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Penn Murfee: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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