We have a getaway day in the baseball schedule. There are only six games on the diamond today, and just one of them is the start of a new series. I often think about the mentality of players on getaway days – some guys are headed home, others are just in the middle of a trip.
In this one, we get a getaway day and a battle of Texas as the Astros take on the Rangers.
The Houston Astros are expected to be one of the teams that miss the playoffs this year. However, counting them out seems a bit foolish because the team tends to do anything they can to win. That is not a shot at them for being proven cheaters, but more a reflection that no matter who is on their roster, they win games.
This year, they are reasonably below .500, but no one in their division is all that impressive. They have a chance to make a deal at the deadline or do something that could give them a winning streak and position themselves for a shot at the division.
One person they likely won’t alter or do anything with is their starter for today. Taking the ball is Spencer Arrighetti, a solid right-handed pitcher who has been great for them in limited innings. He is 6-1 for the season with a 1.32 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. If he had enough innings, that would be the league leader.
He had a later start to the season, but he hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any game this season. He has also allowed just three hits and no runs over his past 12.1 innings. Of those, 7.1 innings came against the Rangers.
Speaking of the Texas Rangers, they are also below .500 and will need to make some adjustments if they want to get themselves in a spot to win their division. I don’t know that this team has a ton of capital to make a push, but they are just a few years removed from a World Series win, so they still have pieces in place that can make a difference.
I like the Rangers’ lineup, but recognize they could use another bat. Their pitching staff is a strength, and I think one that they can ride down the stretch.
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One of those arms they will ride is tonight’s starter, Nathan Eovaldi. For the year, Eovaldi is 5-5 with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. His numbers are a bit uglier than normal due to a few bad early-season starts. He allowed 11 earned runs in his first two games of the season and has allowed 15 over his past eight starts. He was locked in a couple of weeks ago against these Astros as he allowed five hits over seven scoreless innings.
There is only one way to play this matchup in my opinion. I’m taking the under through five innings. I feel like both pitchers are going to be dialed in. I normally fade pitchers that face a team twice in a short span. If they did well in the first, I usually take the over. If they did poorly, I usually take the under. However, in this situation, I think both of these guys are too good to just assume they will fail.
Give me the under through five innings because I don’t want to deal with the bullpens blowing it for a full game.
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