Scott Feldman (2-2, 4.31 ERA) and Wandy Rodriguez (0-1, 4.82 ERA) take the hill in the second of a three-game series between the Houston Astros (18-8) and the Texas Rangers (9-16) at Minute Maid Park. The Rangers won the last game 2-1 and Texas leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 8:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May. 5 and can be seen on FSN-SW and ROOT-SW.
Feldman is 3-2 with a 2.96 ERA in his appearances against the Rangers, and goes up against a below-average Texas offense which is batting just .216 this season. Jose Altuve (.360, 16 Rs, 3 HRs, 19 RBIs, 10 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run and one stolen base. Against the Astros, Rodriguez is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 12 strikeouts. Prince Fielder (.354, 10 Rs, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Houston is a -153 favorite against Texas and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at eight runs. The Astros have recorded an overall money line of +1,344 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 5-3. Houston is perfect SU and unbeaten in its last 10 outings as the favorite. The Astros have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 7.6 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 5.0 runs per game. The Astros have no trouble scoring as they rank fifth in the AL in offense with 5.0 runs per game. The Astros lead the MLB in home runs with 40. Houston leads the MLB in steals, swiping 33 bases. Turning to the pitchers, opposing offenses have been stifled by the Astros, who have a team ERA of only 3.12. The Astros are the top team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.06 so far this season.
Over in the other dugout, Texas is coming in with an overall money line of -593 and a disappointing record of 7-14 as the underdog. They played poorly as the underdog over their last 10 games with a 2-7 record, and a 2-8 record SU.
The Astros have a great 5-1 record at home (8-2 overall) against left-handed starting pitchers, which is what they’ll be facing when Rodriguez takes the mound. Feldman (RHP) will be on the hill against the Rangers, who have a inferior 5-9 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, O/U – Over
Notes
The Rangers won their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Astros are 6-2. The Rangers are 3-3 in close games this season.
When the Astros play into extra innings, they have a 3-0 record. The Rangers are 2-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Rangers are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Astros have a 4-2 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Astros are 11-4. The Rangers have a 6-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 26th, Texas sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 91 this season. Houston ranks in the top five at fifth with 126.
Ranking 11th, Texas is in the top half of the league in walks, notching 83 this season. Houston ranks in the top five at second with 96.
The Astros are 14-5 when they hit at least one home run. The Rangers perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 6-4 record.
