Vincent Velasquez (0-0, 4.15 ERA) and Nathan Eovaldi (6-2, 4.95 ERA) take the hill in the second of a four-game series between the Houston Astros (43-32) and the New York Yankees (39-34) at Minute Maid Park. The Astros won the last game 4-0 and Houston leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 8:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Jun. 26 and can be seen on YES and ROOT-SW.
Velasquez pitched 3.1 innings in his most recent start, surrendering one run, striking out five and walking four in a 6-2 defeat to the Mariners. Jose Altuve (.292, 33 Rs, 5 HRs, 29 RBIs, 20 SBs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 3 for 4 with three runs and two stolen bases. When pitching against the Astros, Eovaldi is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and three strikeouts. Brett Gardner (.292, 55 Rs, 9 HRs, 38 RBIs, 15 SBs) went 1 for 5 yesterday with two runs and one RBI.
Houston is a narrow -113 favorite at home against New York. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently eight runs. The Astros have an overall money line of +792 and a record as the favorite of 19-17. The Astros have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.8 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.5 runs per game. The Astros have no trouble scoring as they rank fifth in the AL in offense with 4.5 runs per game. The Astros are one of the best in the MLB in terms of extra base hits with 245. Houston is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 59 bases. As for the pitchers, the Astros are the top team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.18 so far this season.
In games where it is the underdog, New York has a 16-16 record and an overall money line of -130. They have been on a bit of a dry streak over their last 10 games. They managed a 0-1 record when playing as the underdog. Offensively, the Yankees have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 4.9 runs per game by averaging 6.3 during that stretch. The Yankees can change the game with one swing of the bat, ranking second in the league with 98 home runs. The Yankees allow 4.5 runs per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 6.0 runs per game during that span. The Yankees have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.4 strikeouts per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Astros have the edge in the season series, 1-0. The Astros have a 26-16 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Eovaldi takes the mound. Velasquez (RHP) will be on the hill against the Yankees, who have a 29-26 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, O/U – Over
Notes
For the 11th time this season, the Yankees registered at least two errors in a game.
When the Astros play into extra innings, they have a 3-3 record. The Yankees are 1-4 when their games exceed nine innings.
Having scored zero runs in their last game, the Yankees are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Astros have a 6-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs.
When they outhit their opponents, the Astros are 30-9. The Yankees have a 27-4 record when outhitting opponents.
Houston and New York both rank in the top five of the league in runs. Houston sits at fourth with 335 runs this season and New York ranks second with 350.
Both Houston and New York are tied at sixth in walks with a total of 234 this season.
The Astros are 34-19 when they hit at least one home run. The Yankees perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 32-20 record.
