SERIES PREVIEW
Astros aim for pivotal victories in showdown with Pirates
Jul 29, 2024, 3:18 pm
The Astros host Paul Skenes and the Pirates Monday night at Minute Maid. Composite Getty Image.
Pittsburgh Pirates (53-52, third in the NL Central) vs. Houston Astros (55-50, first in the AL West)
Houston; Monday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Pirates: Paul Skenes (6-1, 1.93 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 97 strikeouts); Astros: Jake Bloss (0-1, 6.94 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 11 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Pirates -153, Astros +129; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Houston Astros host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday to begin a three-game series.
Houston has a 55-50 record overall and a 30-22 record at home. The Astros have a 43-26 record in games when they record eight or more hits.
Pittsburgh has a 53-52 record overall and a 27-26 record on the road. The Pirates have the sixth-ranked team ERA in the NL at 3.83.
Monday’s game is the first time these teams meet this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Yordan Alvarez has 25 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs and 54 RBI for the Astros. Jeremy Pena is 14-for-38 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBI over the last 10 games.
Connor Joe has 18 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 31 RBI for the Pirates. Oneil Cruz is 13-for-40 with five doubles, a triple and three home runs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Astros: 5-5, .248 batting average, 3.83 ERA, even run differential
Pirates: 6-4, .252 batting average, 3.54 ERA, outscored opponents by four runs
INJURIES: Astros: Justin Verlander: 15-Day IL (neck), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (forearm), Kyle Tucker: 10-Day IL (shin), Jose Urquidy: 60-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)
Pirates: Nick Gonzales: 10-Day IL (undisclosed), Bailey Falter: 15-Day IL (arm), Daulton Jefferies: 15-Day IL (elbow), Jared Jones: 15-Day IL (lat), Ryan Borucki: 60-Day IL (tricep), Dauri Moreta: 60-Day IL (elbow), Endy Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Johan Oviedo: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Here's the Astros lineup against Paul Skenes:
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Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is going on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his right hand.
The issue had caused the three-time All-Star to miss the last two games of the Astros’ weekend series with the Chicago White Sox. The move, announced before the Astros' Monday night game at Milwaukee, is retroactive to Saturday.
Houston recalled catcher César Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move.
Alvarez, 27, has batted .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. That follows a 2024 season in which he batted. 308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games while earning a third straight All-Star Game selection and finishing ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player voting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 each of the past three seasons and ranked fourth in the AL in that category last year.
Salazar, 26, was hitting .197 with a .305 on-base percentage, two homers and seven RBIs in 21 games for Sugar Land. He hit .320 with a .387 on-base percentage, no homers and eight RBIs in 12 games with Houston last year.