Chris Archer (10-9, 2.92 ERA), seeking his 200th strikeout of the season, gets the ball for the Tampa Bay Rays (59-61) as they meet Collin McHugh (13-6, 4.09 ERA) and the Houston Astros (66-55) in the last of a four-game series at Minute Maid Park. The Astros won the last game 3-2 and Houston leads the series 2-1. The game gets underway at 8:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 20 and will air on SUN and RTSW.
In his most recent outing, McHugh pitched 7.0 innings, giving up one run, striking out seven and walking two in a 4-2 loss to the Tigers. George Springer (.264, 43 Rs, 13 HRs, 29 RBIs, 14 SBs) went 1 for 2 yesterday with one run and one stolen base. The Rays were unsuccessful the last time Archer pitched. He struggled, going 5.1 innings, allowing seven runs (one unearned), striking out four and walking three in a 12-4 loss to the Rangers. Logan Forsythe (.282, 48 Rs, 13 HRs, 51 RBIs, 8 SBs) has been hitting the ball well for the Rays, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one run and one stolen base.
Houston is favored by a slight -109 margin in its matchup against Tampa Bay. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at seven runs. The Astros are 38-28 as the favorite and have an overall money line of +445. The Astros will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In the last 10 games, Houston has only averaged 2.7 runs per game compared to the 4.3 they’ve averaged on the season. The Astros are a power hitting team with an MLB-best 164 home runs. The Astros are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 92 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball. As for the pitching staff, the Astros lead the AL in ERA with a 3.40 team average. The Astros don’t allow many hitters to get on base, ranking second in the league with a 1.19 WHIP.
On the other side, the Rays have a record of 30-35 when they are the underdog and are -323 overall with the money line. They also allow just 7.9 hits per game, good for tops in the AL. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in the AL with an average of 8.3 strikeouts per game.
The Rays have mostly come out on top against the Astros in their previous six games this season, earning a 4-2 record. The Astros will take on a right-hander (Archer) in this game and have a 42-35 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Rays will be the right-hander McHugh. They sport a 38-47 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Houston is 27-20, while Tampa Bay is 24-24.
The Rays are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Astros have a 17-31 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Rays are 11-38. The Astros have a 12-40 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking first in home runs, Houston has hit 164 this season. Tampa Bay ranks 17th with 111 home runs.
Houston and Tampa Bay both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Houston sits at 15th with 8.09 hits per game and Tampa Bay ranks 13th with 8.28.
Ranking 20th, Tampa Bay is in the bottom half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.703). Houston ranks in the top half at 11th with an OPS of .732.
The Rays are 28-46 when they allow at least one home run. The Astros perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 24-38 record.
