THE Z REPORT
Lance Zierlein: Rockets fan transcript for Game 4 win over the Warriors
Lance Zierlein
May 23, 2018, 10:25 am
Rockets fan at 3:30 PM: It sure would be nice to see this team show some guts, but they just got beat by 41 so I’m not sure why we are expecting anything tonight.
Rockets fan at: 6:30 PM: This team did win 65 games and they are a good team. They definitely have a chance if James and Chris play well.
RF at 7:20: I just want them to be competitive. Even if they lose tonight, I just want them to keep a close and be respectable. I just want them to win game 5 so we don’t get embarrassed.
RF at 8 PM: F*^K THE WARRIORS! LET’S GO!!!!
RF at 8:03 PM: Well starting off 5-0 wasn’t what I was hoping for. Come on, Rockets! Pick it up!
RF down 12-0: Fan-f^#*ing-tastic! 12-0 and we haven’t even scored in the first five minutes. Has anybody has ever beaten the Golden State Warriors when they haven’t scored in the first five minutes of the game?! WHERE IS HARDEN?! There is zero chance that anyone has ever beaten them down when they haven’t scored in the first five minutes.
RF after James doesn’t take wide-open 3 down 7-14: He’s point shaving.
RF down 21-12 with Harden scoring 9 quick points: Finally showing some heart!!! Never doubt The Beard!
RF with quarter ending down 28-19: I guess I’ll take it.
The Houston Astros are looking to avoid an unexpected sweep Wednesday night as they wrap up their three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park.
Winners of six of their last ten despite back-to-back losses, the Astros (55-37) turn to left-hander Brandon Walter (1-1, 4.15 ERA) to steady the ship and salvage the finale. Walter has been reliable in his recent outings, and he’ll face a Guardians lineup that has struggled to string together hits, batting just .204 over their last 10 games.
Cleveland (42-48) entered the series on a 10-game losing streak, but now has a chance to sweep the AL West leaders and take the season series. Slade Cecconi (3-4, 3.56 ERA) gets the start for the Guardians. The 26-year-old righty has kept his ERA under 4.00 this year and will look to neutralize a Houston offense that leads the American League in batting average at .260 and is hitting .295 over the last 10 games.
All eyes remain on Jose Altuve, who has driven in 16 runs and slugged four homers over his last 10 games. He’s been the heartbeat of the Houston offense, while Isaac Paredes continues to deliver steady power at the top of the lineup. The Astros have scored five or more runs in eight of their last ten games, but the bullpen faltered late in both of the first two games of this series.
Cleveland counters with the steady presence of Carlos Santana and the always-dangerous Jose Ramirez. Though Ramirez is just 6-for-38 in his last 10 games, he’s delivered key home runs in the series and remains the Guardians’ biggest threat.
With the season series now 3-2 in favor of Cleveland, Wednesday’s matchup carries added weight for the Astros as they look to regroup and avoid letting momentum slip further. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -144, Guardians +121; over/under is 8 runs
Astros lineup for the finale
What stands out? First off, Jake Meyers returns to the lineup after missing a couple of games with a calf issue. With Meyers back in the two-spot, Cam Smith returns to hitting cleanup. Caratini is playing first base again and hitting fifth, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Cooper Hummel (DH), Taylor Trammell (LF), and Mauricio Dubon (SS).
Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.
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