Collin McHugh (8-10, 5.01 ERA) and the Houston Astros (69-62) go up against Kendall Graveman (10-8, 3.97 ERA) and the Oakland Athletics (57-74) in the second of a three-game division series at Minute Maid Park. The Astros won the last game 6-0, and Houston leads the series 1-0. The game starts at 8:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 30 and will air on RTSW and CSCA.
In his most recent outing, McHugh pitched 5.0 innings, allowing three runs, striking out four and walking one in a 5-4 victory over the Pirates. Jose Altuve (.354, 93 Rs, 22 HRs, 88 RBIs, 26 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI. The Athletics were also victorious the last time Graveman pitched. He pitched well, going 6.2 innings, giving up one run, striking out two and walking two in a 5-1 victory over the Indians. Khris Davis (.258, 70 Rs, 34 HRs, 85 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 3 yesterday.
Houston is a -164 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is eight runs. The Astros are 48-45 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -817. They have a SU record of 28-23 against teams in their division and a 20-18 record when they were the favorite in those games. Houston has averaged 6.1 runs per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 4.6. Transitioning to the Houston defense and pitching staff, teams routinely struggle to score runs against the Astros, who allow only 4.2 runs per game. The Astros are second in the AL in walks allowed with just 2.6 per game.
On the other side, the Athletics have a record of 39-51 when they are the underdog and are -1,036 overall with the money line. Against teams in their division, they are 22-29 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 17-19 record. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Oakland pitchers. They’ve allowed 2.8 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 4.7.
The Astros have gotten the best of the Athletics in head-to-head matchups this season, going 8-6. This game will feature Graveman (RHP) on the mound against the Astros, who have a 47-41 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed McHugh will take the mound against the Athletics, who have a 43-52 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, O/U – Over
Notes
Houston earned its sixth shutout of the season in its last game. Oakland has been shut out nine times this season.
When leading after seven innings, Houston is 35-26, while Oakland is 20-31.
The Athletics didn’t score any runs in their last game. The Astros have a 6-0 record when they don’t allow any runs.
When they outhit their opponents, the Athletics are 39-13. The Astros have a 52-5 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 27th in runs, Oakland has earned 520 this season. Houston ranks 13th with 599 runs.
Ranking 28th, Oakland is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 333 this season. Houston ranks in the top five with 466.
The Astros are 60-36 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Athletics are 43-41 when they hit at least one homer.
