The Houston Astros and Miami Marlins will square off to open a series on Monday.
The Houston Astros come into the game fresh off a loss to the Angels on Saturday. Houston dropped to 68-51 on the season and three games back of the Texas Rangers in the American League West. Houston is 35-25 on the road this season.
For Miami, they are on a two-game winning streak. The Marlins are now 62-57 on the season and 14.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves. The Marlins currently hold a ½ game lead for the National League Wildcard spot.
The Houston Astros come into this game at -155. The Miami Marlins are listed at +130 for the game. The total for the game on Monday is at 7.5 runs.
Astros Second Place in American League West
Houston just cannot seem to chase down Texas in the division. But, they safely sit with a wildcard spot for now. The Astros went back-to-back games against the Angels, scoring 11 runs each game. In the loss on Sunday, Houston allowed Shohei Ohtani to his 41st home run of the season.
Kyle Tucker continues to be the team’s Most Valuable Player on offense. Tucker has been outstanding, with a .297 batting average, 22 home runs, and 88 runs batted in. Houston is hitting .251 as a team, which ranks 13th in all of Major League Baseball. The Astros are also 6th in baseball in runs scored.
Framber Valdez is going to get the start for the Houston Astros. Over his last two starts, Valdez has gone 16 innings, allowed eight hits and six runs while striking out 10.
The Astros have won his last two starts. Valdez will be making his 23rd start of the season and is 9-7, with a 3.30 earned run average coming into this affair.
Wildcard Marlins Seeking Home Win
Miami is looking to surge over the final few weeks and win that National League Wildcard spot. The Marlins struggled right out of the break for the second half but have settled in. The Marlins won back-to-back games at home against the Yankees, with Jake Burger coming away with a game-ending single on Sunday.
Luis Arraez continues to rake for the Marlins’ offense. He leads all of Major League Baseball with his .367 batting average. This comes after winning the batting title in the American League a season ago.
The Marlins’ power comes from Jorge Soler, with his 28 home runs and 62 runs batted in. Miami got great news when their ace Sandy Alcantara pitched a complete game on Saturday, beating New York 3-1.
The Marlins will send 26-year-old lefthander Braxton Garrett to the mound. Garrett is 6-3 on the season with a 4.08 earned run average. Garrett is coming off an outing at Cincinnati, where he went six innings and allowed six hits and two runs against the Reds. Miami has won the last three starts Garrett has made.
Miami Batters Houston Around
The Miami Marlins would love to get hot and give themselves a little bit of a cushion for the wildcard spot. The Marlins are a team that can hit the baseball around the park when they get hot. They get a good Houston team in town and a chance to prove themselves against a good team.
Look for the Marlins to play good baseball in this game and also in this series. Betting the Miami Marlins here is the way to go. Take the Miami Marlins +130 over the Houston Astros on Monday.
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