In the third of a four-game series between the Cleveland Indians (39-44) and the Houston Astros (39-44) at Progressive Field, Trevor Bauer (7-5, 3.88 ERA) and Dan Straily (0-0, 7.71 ERA) take the mound. The Indians won the last game 2-0 and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jul. 8 and will air on ROOT-SW and STO.
In his most recent outing, Bauer pitched 6.1 innings, giving up two runs, striking out three and walking one in a 5-2 victory over the Pirates. David Murphy (.329, 21 Rs, 5 HRs, 24 RBIs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 3 with one RBI. In his pitching opportunities against the Indians, Straily is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA, seven strikeouts and four walks. George Springer (.264, 43 Rs, 13 HRs, 29 RBIs, 14 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday with one run and one stolen base.
Cleveland is a -140 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at eight runs. When playing as the favorite, the Indians have a 25-28 record and overall money line at -1,520. Over the last 10 games, they have a very good record when playing as the favorite (3-1). The Indians typically don’t swing at bad pitches, which has led to an AL-high 4.0 walks per home game. As for the pitching staff, they have been extremely effective at striking opposing batters out, leading the AL with 9.3 strikeouts per game.
On the other side, the Astros have a record of 25-18 when they are the underdog and are +1,080 overall with the money line. They sport the second-ranked offense in the AL, averaging four runs per game. Houston is one of the top road hitting teams in the AL with an average of 9.2 hits per contest. Houston is a terror on the base paths, ranking third in the MLB with 68 stolen bases. Switching gears to Houston’s pitching staff, they have the fifth-lowest road ERA in the AL at 3.81. They have a WHIP of 1.20 on the year, good for third in the league.
The Indians are 3-2 against the Astros this season. This game will feature Straily (RHP) on the mound against the Indians, who have a 26-24 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Bauer will take the mound against the Astros. Against righty starters this season, they’ve racked up an impressive 32-19 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Houston is 20-14, while Cleveland is 13-12.
The Indians are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Astros have an 11-21 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Indians are 6-33. The Astros have a 10-26 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking first in home runs, Houston has hit 120 this season. Cleveland ranks 20th with 69 home runs.
Ranking 12th, Houston is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.22 per game. Cleveland ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 8.39.
Ranking 17th, Cleveland is in the bottom half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.709). Houston ranks in the top 10 at sixth with an OPS of .736.
The Astros are 18-26 when they allow at least one home run. The Indians perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 24-35 record.
