3 pivotal elements to watch in Astros showdown with Padres

The Padres host the Astros Monday night. Composite Getty Image.

Houston Astros (81-68, first in AL West) vs. San Diego Padres (85-65, second in NL West)

San Diego; Monday, 9:40 p.m. EDT

The Houston Astros and San Diego Padres kick off a three-game series on Monday night, with both teams vying to solidify their postseason positioning. Houston sits atop the AL West with an 81-68 record, while San Diego is in second place in the NL West at 85-65.

Pitching probables

Astros: Spencer Arrighetti (7-12, 4.72 ERA, 158 strikeouts)
Arrighetti has shown flashes of brilliance but has been inconsistent throughout the season. He'll need to be sharp against a Padres lineup that has been surging in September.
Padres: Yu Darvish (5-3, 3.52 ERA, 62 strikeouts)
Darvish has been reliable for San Diego and comes into the game with a solid 1.14 WHIP. He’s looking to build on his strong recent form and provide the Padres with a quality start.

Team outlook

Astros: Houston has been solid on the road, holding a 39-36 record away from Minute Maid Park. Their offense has been potent, ranking eighth in MLB with a .419 slugging percentage. Key players like Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz will look to stay hot and lead the team in this important series.
Padres: San Diego has been dominant when out-hitting their opponents, boasting a 68-20 record in such games. Their home record stands at 40-35, and they'll look to capitalize on that advantage in this series. Jurickson Profar and Luis Arraez have been key contributors for the Padres' offense, and they’ll be instrumental in taking on Houston’s pitching staff.

Recent form

Padres (6-4 in their last 10 games): They have been hitting well, posting a .267 average with a 3.07 team ERA over this stretch, outscoring their opponents by 15 runs.
Astros (6-4 in their last 10 games): Houston is swinging the bats even better, hitting .289 over their last 10, with a 3.72 team ERA and a positive run differential of 14.

This series will be crucial as both teams push toward the playoffs. Expect a competitive matchup in the series opener.

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Padres -136, Astros +115; over/under 8 runs.

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*ChatGPT aided with this article.

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Texas hosts Clemson on Dec. 21. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

No. 4 Texas will be competing for a return trip to Atlanta when it plays at home against No. 13 Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The winner of the Clemson-Texas first-round game on Dec. 21 will play No. 10 Arizona State in the Jan. 1 Peach Bowl in Atlanta in the CFP quarterfinals.

For Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who is from Austin, Texas, the game will be a homecoming.

“We recruited him hard," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Sunday, calling Klubnik “a winner. He will do whatever it takes to put his team in position to be successful.”

Added Sarkisian: “When he made the decision to go to Clemson, honestly I wasn’t surprised. Both his parents went to (Texas) A&M.”

Klubnik applauded the announcement of the game at Texas for Clemson's seventh CFP appearance.

“For him to be going to his first playoff in Austin, Texas, where he grew up, you can’t make that up,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “Pretty cool opportunity for him and his family to go compete against Texas there in Austin.”

Swinney said his only visit to the Texas stadium was to watch Klubnik play in a high school playoff game.

“We’ve never played Texas or played in that stadium,” Swinney said. “... It’s going to be amazing. It’s one of the best venues in college football.”

The Longhorns (11-2) were seeded No. 5 in the CFP following their 22-19 overtime loss to Georgia on Saturday night in the Southeastern Conference championship game in Atlanta.

Sarkisian said his players were “really excited” to see Texas land the No. 5 seed and have the opportunity to play in the Longhorns' first game against Clemson.

Texas safety Andrew Mukuba is a Clemson transfer. Sarkisian said players already were calling the matchup the “Mukuba Bowl.”

Swinney said: “I love Mukuba. I just love his spirit and love his heart. He was a really neat kid.

“I certainly wish he had been able to finish here. He did everything that was asked of him at Clemson. Made a bunch of big plays.”

Clemson (10-3) beat SMU 34-31 in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday night to land an automatic CFP berth. The Tigers are ranked No. 16 in the CFP but were given the 12th and lowest seed. As the fifth-highest ranked league champion, the Tigers do not get a bye and instead must visit Texas.

Arizona State (11-2) earned a bye by rolling over Iowa State 45-19 in the Big 12 championship game Saturday. The Sun Devils were led by running back Cam Skattebo's 170 rushing yards in their impressive win to cap their first season in the Big 12.

Peach Bowl president Gary Stokan noted the Sun Devils were picked to finish last in the Big 12.

“You proved them all wrong,” Stokan told Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham.

Arizona State players celebrated the announcement of their No. 4 seed.

Dillingham said he hopes the conference championship and berth in the CFP helps him recruit and continue to build the program.

“Hopefully this stage will help get our branding out there, and show people that we can be one of the newer brands in college football," Dillingham said. "Every 10-15 years a new brand shows up, and a new brand becomes a national brand.”No. 4 Texas will be competing for a return trip to Atlanta when it plays at home against No. 13 Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff.