In the third of a four-game series between the Houston Astros (23-13) and the Toronto Blue Jays (23-13) at Minute Maid Park, Scott Feldman (2-4, 5.23 ERA) and Marco Estrada (1-2, 3.54 ERA) get the ball. The Astros won the last game 8-4 and Houston leads the series 2-0. The game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 16 and will air on RSN and ROOT-SW.
Feldman has a 5.08 ERA and a 2-4 record in his career against the Blue Jays, and faces a solid Toronto offense that’s hitting .258 on the year. Jose Altuve (.338, 20 Rs, 5 HRs, 24 RBIs, 13 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run, one home run, and three RBIs. In his career against the Astros, Estrada is 1-0 with a 3.04 ERA. He meets a less-than-stellar Houston offense that’s batting just .229. Josh Donaldson (.310, 27 Rs, 8 HRs, 25 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
Houston is favored by a slight -110 margin in its matchup against Toronto. The matchup currently has a nine-run Over/Under (O/U). The Astros are 7-7 as the favorite and have an overall money line of +911. Houston has been struggling as of late. In the last 10 games, Houston has only averaged 2.6 runs per game compared to the 4.3 they’ve averaged on the season. The Astros are a dangerous hitting team with 115 extra base hits, one of the highest totals in the MLB. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking second in all of baseball with 38 steals. As for the pitching staff, the Astros don’t allow many hitters to get on base, leading the league with a 1.12 WHIP.
Across the field, the Blue Jays have a subpar record of 7-13 when they are the underdog and are -303 overall with the money line. They have played poorly as the underdog as of late. They managed a 1-4 record when playing as the underdog and an SU record of 5-5. Toronto is one of the top hitting teams in the league with 121 extra base hits. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Toronto pitchers. They’ve allowed 3.4 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 4.8.
So far this season, the Astros are 2-0 against the Blue Jays. This game will feature Estrada (RHP) on the mound against the Astros, who have a 13-9 record when they take on a right-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Blue Jays will be the right-hander Feldman. They sport a 12-18 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Astros and the Blue Jays play into extra innings, both teams are undefeated. In such games, Houston has a 3-0 record and Toronto is 1-0.
The Blue Jays are coming into this game after allowing zero walks during their last outing. The Astros have a 1-2 record when opponents give up that many walks.
When they are outhit, the Blue Jays are 2-16. The Astros have a 7-9 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking seventh in home runs, Toronto has hit 42 this season. Houston ranks second with 52 home runs.
Ranking 14th, Houston is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.54 per game. Toronto ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 8.64.
Ranking 14th, Houston is in the top half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.716). Toronto ranks in the top five at fifth with an OPS of .755.
The Blue Jays are 9-15 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Astros are 9-7 when they allow at least one homer.
