Oakland Athletics (64-82) vs. Houston Astros (77-68)
Location: Minute Maid Park, Houston
Date: Thursday, 2:10 p.m. EDT

Pitching Probables:

• Athletics: Mitch Spence (7-9, 4.42 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 111 strikeouts)
• Astros: Framber Valdez (14-6, 2.97 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 153 strikeouts)

BETMGM Sportsbook:

• Line: Astros -236, Athletics +193
• Over/Under: 8 1/2 runs

Bottom Line:
The Houston Astros aim to halt a three-game skid as they host the Oakland Athletics in the final game of their three-game series. Houston, sitting atop the AL West with a 77-68 record, looks to stabilize after recent struggles. Despite their slump, the Astros are among the top power-hitting teams in the AL, ranking sixth with 170 home runs.

Oakland, with a 64-82 record, will try to play spoiler and win their second straight series against Houston. The A’s have been effective with the long ball, ranking sixth in MLB with 184 home runs, averaging 1.3 per game.

This is the 13th meeting between these division rivals this season, with the Astros holding a 7-5 advantage in the series.

Top Performers:

• Astros: Yordan Alvarez continues to anchor Houston’s offense, leading the team with a .313 batting average, 31 doubles, 32 home runs, and 80 RBI. Jose Altuve has been on a recent tear, hitting 14-for-39 with a home run and five RBI over his last 10 games. However, Altuve won't be in the lineup Thursday as he's day-to-day after exiting Wednesday's game early after injuring his side.
• Athletics: Brent Rooker leads Oakland’s offense with 35 home runs and a .577 slugging percentage. Shea Langeliers has also been productive lately, hitting 10-for-41 with three home runs and seven RBI in his last 10 games.

Last 10 Games:

• Astros: 4-6, .256 batting average, 3.80 ERA, outscored opponents by four runs.
• Athletics: 5-5, .253 batting average, 4.54 ERA, outscored by 21 runs.

With ace Framber Valdez on the mound, Houston will look to reverse their fortunes and secure a win as the regular season winds down. Mitch Spence will aim to keep Oakland competitive as they try to take another game from the AL West leaders.

Injury updates

Chas McCormick has been placed on the IL with a small fracture in his right hand. IF Grae Kessinger and LHP Bryan King have been recalled from Sugar Land.

Kyle Tucker is expected to play right field on Friday. He has only played as the DH since returning from injury. This would be a big step forward for King Tuck.

Joe Espada provided an update on Altuve saying he is “better” today. He remains day-to-day.

Article aided by ChatGBT.