Framber Valdez, one of the early season’s toughest pitchers, is set to take the mound for the Houston Astros (+145) as they face off against the Atlanta Braves (-170) at Truist Park on Saturday. The early total has been set at 8.5 with the under a -115 favorite.
The Astros (10-10) took Friday’s series opener 6-4. Reliever Hector Neris threw one scoreless inning to get the win, and Ryan Pressly picked up his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
Mauricio Dubon was 3 for 5 with a double, two runs, and one RBI in the win, stretching his hit streak to 15 games. Ronald Acuna Jr.’s on-base streak is now at 11 games as he went 2 for 5 with two doubles and one run for the Braves (14-6).
ON THE MOUND
Valdez (1-2, 1.89 ERA) is in line for the start for Houston. The lefty allowed five runs (one earned) over six innings in his last start, a 9-1 road defeat against the Rangers on Sunday. He took the loss, yielding four hits while striking out seven and walking two.
For Atlanta, righty Kyle Wright (0-0, 12.00 ERA) takes the mound. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Astros. Wright made one start against the Astros in 2022, throwing six innings in a 6-2 home win on August 19.
He gave up six hits and walked one, while striking out seven in the win.In his last start on Sunday, Wright took a no-decision on the road against the Royals. He threw 5.2 innings and gave up two runs on four hits, striking out six and walking three in the 5-4 victory.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Houston has averaged 5.2 runs a game, a small gain compared to their season average of 5.1. Against right-handed pitchers like Wright this season, the ‘Stros have a .695 OPS. Kyle Tucker is the team’s best hitter against right-handers with a .975 OPS in 46 at-bats.
Atlanta is averaging only 3.8 runs per game in the last five, down from 5.1 for the season, with their slash line slipping across the board (.204/.283/.364). The Braves have ann .849 OPS against left-handers in 2023, fourth highest in the league. With a 1.342 OPS over 19 at-bats, Sean Murphy has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Houston is 4-3 on the road in 2023, scoring 5.4 runs per game while allowing 3.7 runs. Atlanta has gone 4-4 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game while surrendering 5.6. Houston is 5-4 in nine meetings at Truist Park with an average scoreline of 6.0-4.1.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Astros are second in the AL West, two games behind the division-leading Rangers. The Braves lead the NL East by zero games over the Mets.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Atlanta Braves (-105)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
