Alfredo Simon (4-2, 3.04 ERA) and Collin McHugh (5-1, 4.09 ERA) start in the second of a four-game series between the Detroit Tigers (25-17) and the Houston Astros (27-15) at Comerica Park. The Tigers won the last game 6-5 and Detroit leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 7:08 p.m. ET on Friday, May. 22 and can be seen on ROOT-SW and FSN-DET.
Simon is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his appearances against the Astros, and goes up against a below-average Houston offense which is batting just .230 this season. Miguel Cabrera (.336, 23 Rs, 10 HRs, 31 RBIs, 1 SB) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one RBI. McHugh went 7.0 innings, surrendering two runs, striking out nine and walking one in a 4-2 win over the Blue Jays in his most recent start. Jose Altuve (.306, 22 Rs, 5 HRs, 24 RBIs, 14 SBs) went 1 for 5 yesterday.
Detroit is a narrow -108 favorite at home against Houston. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at eight runs for this matchup. The Tigers have an overall money line of +458 and a record as the favorite of 16-11. Detroit is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 39 bases.
Over in the other dugout, Houston is coming in with an overall money line of +1,323 and an impressive record of 16-6 as the dog. Offensively, they average five runs per game on the road, which is the best in the AL. The Astros are tough outs for opponents, ranking third in the AL with 9.2 hits per road game. The Astros are an excellent base stealing team with 39 stolen bases, ranking second in the MLB. Houston’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an AL-low 3.12 ERA on the road. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Astros are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.15 for the season.
The Tigers have the edge in the season series, 1-0. The Tigers have a 17-14 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when McHugh takes the mound. Simon (RHP) will be on the hill against the Astros, who have very good records against right-handed starting pitchers on the road and overall of 8-3 and 17-9, respectively.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Over
Notes
Detroit recorded at least two errors for the third time this season.
The Tigers and the Astros are both 3-1 in games that go into extra innings.
The Houston batters brought in a solid nine hits last game. Detroit has a record of 9-12 when their opponents get that many hits or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Astros are 16-4. The Tigers have a 22-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking eighth in runs, Detroit has earned 184 this season. Houston ranks fifth with 187 runs.
Detroit and Houston both rank in the top five of the league in walks. Detroit sits at second with 145 this season and Houston ranks fifth with 142.
The Tigers are 17-5 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Astros are 21-9 when they hit at least one homer.
