SERIES PREVIEW
Decisive factors as Astros aim to even series with Reds
Sep 4, 2024, 1:15 pm
The Astros are back in action on Wednesday. Composite Getty Image.
Houston Astros (75-63, first in the AL West) vs. Cincinnati Reds (66-73, fourth in the NL Central)
Cincinnati; Wednesday, 6:40 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Spencer Arrighetti (7-11, 4.63 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 151 strikeouts); Reds: Nick Martinez (6-6, 3.78 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 86 strikeouts)
Rookie running the show. 💪
Congratulations to Spencer Arrighetti on being named the American League Rookie of the Month! pic.twitter.com/HDrwpAWGW7
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 3, 2024
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Astros -140, Reds +119; over/under is 9 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Cincinnati Reds take on the Houston Astros after Ty France had four hits against the Astros on Monday.
Cincinnati has a 34-39 record in home games and a 66-73 record overall. The Reds are 49-27 in games when they record eight or more hits.
Houston has a 75-63 record overall and a 36-34 record on the road. The Astros have a 62-18 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.
Wednesday’s game is the second meeting between these teams this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Elly De La Cruz has 22 home runs, 61 walks and 61 RBI while hitting .261 for the Reds. Tyler Stephenson is 14-for-35 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI over the past 10 games.
Yordan Alvarez has 30 doubles, two triples, 30 home runs and 73 RBI for the Astros. Alex Bregman is 9-for-36 with a double, two home runs and two RBI over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Reds: 4-6, .267 batting average, 5.57 ERA, outscored by nine runs
Astros: 6-4, .255 batting average, 2.38 ERA, outscored opponents by 16 runs
INJURIES: Reds: Stuart Fairchild: 60-Day IL (thumb), Nick Lodolo: 15-Day IL (finger), Austin Wynns: 60-Day IL (teres), Andrew Abbott: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Jeimer Candelario: 10-Day IL (toe), Christian Roa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Hunter Greene: 15-Day IL (elbow), Graham Ashcraft: 60-Day IL (elbow), Nick Martini: 60-Day IL (thumb), Christian Encarnacion-Strand: 60-Day IL (hand), Ian Gibaut: 60-Day IL (forearm), Tejay Antone: 60-Day IL (elbow), Matt McLain: 60-Day IL (shoulder)
Astros: Alex Bregman: day-to-day (elbow), J.P. France: 60-Day IL (undisclosed), Kyle Tucker: 60-Day IL (shin), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (forearm), 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)
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Yusei Kikuchi pitched seven innings of three-hit ball in another sharp start, and Yordan Alvarez homered and drove in two runs in the Houston Astros ' 5,000th victory, 5-3 over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
Alex Bregman hit an early two-run homer and Alvarez added his 33rd in the ninth inning for the first-place Astros, who opened a six-game Southern California trip with their second straight win after a three-game skid.
Mickey Moniak homered for the Angels, who have lost five of six.
Kikuchi (9-9) overcame early trouble and struck out six Angels while keeping the Astros unbeaten in all of his starts since joining Houston in a trade with Toronto. Kikuchi is 5-0 in an Astros uniform, and Houston is 8-0 when he takes the mound.
Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his 30th save as the Astros became the 18th big league club to reach 5,000 victories.
Rookie Samuel Aldegheri (1-2) couldn’t get out of the third inning in his third major league start for the Angels, yielding four runs on six hits and five walks while recording only six outs.
Houston scored twice in the second with two singles followed by two walks and Alvarez's sacrifice fly.
The Astros then got three hits on Aldegheri's first three pitches in the third inning. After Kyle Tucker singled, Bregman hit his 23rd homer and Jeremy Peña doubled.
Kikuchi issued back-to-back walks to begin the third, and Los Angeles scored on Zach Neto's groundout and Nolan Schanuel's single.
Moniak's solo shot to right in the fourth was just his second career homer against a left-hander. It was also the former No. 1 overall pick's 14th homer of the season, matching his career high.
Alvarez's homer was a line drive that went in and out of Moniak's glove when the center fielder leaped at the wall to attempt what would have been a spectacular catch.
Hader recorded 30 saves for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in his career.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: INF Jose Altuve returned from a one-game absence with discomfort in his right side. He drove the first pitch of the game into left field, but was easily thrown out at second while trying to stretch it into a double.
Angels: 2B Brandon Drury sat out after leaving Wednesday's game in the fifth inning with hamstring tightness. ... RHP Ben Joyce is still awaiting the results of his MRI exam Thursday. The 105-mph hurler hasn't pitched since Sept. 6 after reporting shoulder discomfort.
UP NEXT
Justin Verlander (3-6, 5.30 ERA) takes the mound for Houston after struggling in his past two starts in September. Los Angeles sends out All-Star Tyler Anderson (10-12, 3.50 ERA), who beat the Astros earlier this year for his only victory in nine career starts against them.