To get a four-game slate underway, the Houston Astros will welcome the Seattle Mariners into Minute Maid Park Thursday evening.
These clubs got together just under a week ago to kick off the second half of the season, with Houston sweeping the Mariners in three games. It will be interesting to see if this series plays out in the same manner.
MLB Performance Recap
The Astros (64-35) followed up the success against the New York Yankees — who they also swept — and Seattle by dropping three straight in the Bay to the Oakland Athletics.
Nevertheless, Houston still holds a comfortable, 10-game edge at the top of the American League West. They have the third-most wins on home turf in the AL.
Seattle (54-45) went into the All-Star break as the talk of the town before being humbled right out of the gate afterward.
Still, they’re 7-3 in their last ten outings and can pull themselves closer to their opponents in the AL West standings by stringing together a few wins. Only the Astros and Yankees have more road triumphs in the AL at this juncture.
Mariners’ Improvement Necessity
To gain some ground, the Mariners will need a bit of a better showing from their lineup, which ranks 23rd in the majors with a .236 batting average. Their total runs scored grades out in the same spot.
First baseman Ty France has a team-high .309 batting average and .382 on-base percentage. Center fielder and phenom Julio Rodriguez has belted 18 dingers and piled up 56 runs driven in.
Astros vs. Mariners Odds
MLB betting odds are leaning toward the home team to continue its success against Seattle. Houston is -1.5 on the run line at +146, while the Mariners are +120 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Astros are -142 and Seattle a +120 underdog. The total has been set at eight runs, with the over being -120 and the under -102 at the time of this writing.
MLB Rankings
The Astros have been successful despite their offense ranking near the bottom third of the major leagues in batting average.
Collectively, they’re hitting .239. Yet, their power and ability to put the ball in play have helped. As of right now, they have the third-most home runs and the third-fewest strikeouts in MLB.
Left fielder Yordan Alvarez has been the frontrunner of the team’s offensive effort. He paces the crew in:
- batting average (.309)
- homers (29), RBIs (67)
- on-base percentage (.413)
- total knocks (88)
Also adding some value to one of the best groups at the top level are designated hitter Michael Brantley, second baseman Jose Altuve, and shortstop Jeremy Pena. Each of those players are swinging for averages of .265 or better.
Altuve and Brantley have both done well at the plate while at home, as they’re both hitting above .310 there.
Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners Betting Preview
Who Is Starting for the Astros?
Jose Urquidy, a 27-year-old righty, will make the start on the bump for the home team. Thus far, he’s 9-4 and has a 3.93 ERA.
He’s come away with a winning decision in three of his four starts this month. His last time out, against the Seattle Mariners last Friday, he went six innings and relatively shut them down.
Who Is Starting for the Mariners?
With one of the best ERAs in the bigs, the Mariners’ Logan Gilbert will take the hill opposite him. He’s 10-4 to this point, with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.
Seattle had won five of his starts in a row before they ran into Houston last week. In that game, Gilbert still gave his team a solid chance, going six frames and allowing only two runs.
Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners Picks and Predictions
We’re now aware of Mariners vs. Astros odds, so let’s make some MLB picks today. We saw how things went on the MLB schedule not all that long ago.
The clash on the mound is a pretty even one, so it will come down to whoever can use the bats better. Trust the Astros to do so, but Seattle will keep it close. Take the Mariners to cover the spread.
MLB Pick: +1.65 (-165)
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