Lance McCullers (1-0, 2.40 ERA) and Miguel Gonzalez (5-3, 3.48 ERA) start in the third of a four-game series between the Houston Astros (33-20) and the Baltimore Orioles (23-28) at Minute Maid Park. The Astros won the last game 6-4 and Houston leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 8:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jun. 3 and can be seen on MASN2 and ROOT-SW.
McCullers pitched 4.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering one, striking out seven and walking two in a 6-3 defeat to the White Sox. Jose Altuve (.300, 25 Rs, 5 HRs, 26 RBIs, 15 SBs) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run. Gonzalez is 1-2 with a 3.47 ERA when pitching against the Astros. He takes on a below-average Houston offense which is hitting just .239 this season. Manny Machado (.269, 28 Rs, 8 HRs, 23 RBIs, 7 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
Houston is a -123 favorite against Baltimore and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at eight runs. The Astros have an overall money line of +1,251 and a record as the favorite of 14-11. The Astros are one of the best in the MLB in terms of extra base hits with 170. Houston is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 44 bases. Turning to the pitchers, opposing offenses that come to Minute Maid Park have been stifled by the Astros, who have a team ERA of only 3.44 at home. The Astros are the second-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.15 so far this season. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Astros, who rank fifth in the AL in strikeouts per game with 7.7.
As for their opponent, Baltimore is coming in with an overall money line of -643 and a disappointing record of 7-16 as the underdog. They have been on a bit of a dry streak over their last 10 games. They managed a 0-3 record when playing as the underdog. Offensively, the Orioles have really sputtered in the last 10 games. They have decreased their season average of 4.2 runs per game by averaging 3.1 during that stretch. When it comes to preventing batters from getting hits, the Orioles are fifth in the AL on the road with an average of 8.1 hits allowed per away game.
The Astros lead the season series, 3-2. The Astros have a great 21-11 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Gonzalez takes the mound. McCullers (RHP) will be on the hill against the Orioles, who have a 19-22 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Astros play into extra innings, they have a 3-2 record. The Orioles are 1-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Orioles are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded nine strikeouts. The Astros have a record of 19-11 when they are struck out that many times or more.
When they are outhit, the Orioles are 4-19. The Astros have a 9-12 record when opponents outhit them.
Houston ranks at the top of the league when it comes to home runs with 71 this season. Baltimore ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 57.
Ranking 13th, Houston is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.94 per game. Baltimore ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 8.42.
Houston and Baltimore both rank in the top half of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Houston sits at 12th with an OPS of .726 and Baltimore ranks 14th with an OPS of .715.
The Orioles are 13-20 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Astros are 12-13 when they allow at least one homer.
