WINNING BLUEPRINT

Critical factors that give Astros the edge in series finale with Mariners

Astros Yordan Alvarez
A big game from Yordan Alvarez would come in handy. Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images.

Houston Astros (5-6) at Seattle Mariners (4-8)
Wednesday, 4:10 p.m. EDT, T-Mobile Park

The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners meet Wednesday afternoon to wrap up their three-game series, each looking to leave with a much-needed win. The teams have split the first two games, setting up a pivotal rubber match between two AL West foes still trying to find their footing in the early going.

Pitching Matchup:
Houston hands the ball to Hunter Brown (1-1, 3.00 ERA), who’s been sharp through his first two outings with 15 strikeouts and just a 1.00 WHIP. He’ll be opposed by Seattle’s Luis Castillo (0-0, 9.00 ERA), who’s struggled out of the gate, allowing eight runs in as many innings while posting a 2.67 WHIP.

Team Trends:
The Mariners are 4-5 at home but just 4-8 overall, and they’re winless in games where they’ve scored five or more runs (0-2), highlighting inconsistency on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, the Astros have won three of five on the road and hold a 5-3 record when they out-hit their opponents.

Both lineups have cooled off over the last 10 games. Seattle is batting .203 during that stretch with a 3-7 record, while Houston hasn’t fared much better, hitting .198 and going 4-6. Both clubs have been outscored by 11 runs in that span.

Players to Watch:
Jorge Polanco has been a bright spot for Seattle, going 10-for-24 with two home runs and 10 RBIs over his last 10 games. Julio Rodríguez continues to be a power threat with three homers and a triple. For Houston, Jose Altuve leads the team with three home runs, and Isaac Paredes has started to string together quality at-bats.

Betting Line:
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Mariners -128, Astros +108; over/under is 7 runs.

With both teams hungry to build momentum, Wednesday's matinee could come down to which starter settles in early—and whether either offense can finally break through.

Here's a look at the Astros lineup for today's finale.

Jose Altuve will get some rest in the DH spot, with Yordan Alvarez playing left field. Victor Caratini will get the start at catcher after providing the game-winning hit on Tuesday night. Cam Smith is starting again in right field after collecting his first big league RBI in Game 2.


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The injury bug bites again.Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros announced on Monday that additional imaging has revealed that Jeremy Peña is dealing with a small fracture in one of his ribs.

Peña left Friday's game after being hit by a pitch in the ribs. The club originally believed they had avoided any fractures or breaks, but new information has informed them otherwise.

Peña is heading to the 10-day injured list retroactive to June 28. This news comes at an unfortunate time, with Jeremy posting the best regular season numbers of his career. He's currently slashing .322, .378, .489 with an .867 OPS.

Peña will miss the Rockies and Dodgers series at a minimum.

Let's hope the team doesn't rush him back too soon and create an even bigger problem. These quotes above from Dana Brown have me concerned. Playing through injuries can create bad habits, and Jeremy has clearly found his swing this season.

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