The Cleveland Guardians (29-33), one of the lightest-hitting offenses in MLB, is set to host the Houston Astros (36-27) at Progressive Field on Friday for the first of a three-game series. The Astros are in the midst of a seven-game road trip.
They won only one out of four in their last series against the Blue Jays, dropping the finale 3-2 on Thursday at Rogers Centre. Alex Bregman was 1 for 4 with a solo home run.
The Guardians are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They won two of three against the Red Sox in their last series, taking the finale 10-3 on Thursday at Progressive Field.
Jose Ramirez went 3 for 5 with three home runs and five RBIs. Will Brennan added a home run and two RBIs. The teams are meeting for the first time this season.
In 2022, the Astros won four of the seven games between the teams, although they split their most recent four-game series at Progressive Field in August.
ON THE MOUND
Cristian Javier (7-1, 2.84 ERA) is set to take the mound for Houston. The right-hander is tied for fourth in the AL in wins. Javier allowed one run over six innings in his last start, a 9-6 road win over the Angels on Saturday.
He got the win, yielding six hits while striking out five. Over two starts against the Guardians in 2022, Javier was 1-1 with a 0.77 ERA over 11.2 innings. He had 13 strikeouts and one walk.
Southpaw Logan Allen (3-2, 2.76 ERA) will toe the rubber for Cleveland. In his last start on Saturday, Allen got the win on the road against the Twins. He threw six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking two in the 4-2 victory.
AT THE PLATE
The Houston offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .246/.315/.398. Yordan Alvarez leads the team in OPS at .964. The left fielder is slashing .272/.384/.579 with 17 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 41 runs over 57 games.
Over the last five games, though, Houston has averaged only 3.4 runs a game while slashing worse across the board (.231/.257/.396). Against lefties like Allen this season, the ‘Stros have a .752 OPS.
Alvarez also is the team’s best performer against left-handers with a .988 OPS in 71 at-bats. Cleveland is slashing .238/.304/.359 for the season and averaging 3.7 runs per game, the third lowest in the league. Ramirez leads the team with a .807 OPS.
The third baseman has nine home runs, 36 RBIs, and 34 runs scored with a slash line of .267/.333/.474. Cleveland is averaging 5.0 runs per game in the last five with a better slash line (.291/.330/.483).
The Guardians have a .659 OPS against right-handers in 2023, the third lowest in the league. With a .881 OPS over 158 at-bats, Ramirez also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Houston is on a three-game losing streak on the road, bringing their record to 18-13 in 2023. The ‘Stros have scored 4.5 runs per game away from home while allowing 3.4 runs.
Cleveland has gone 14-16 at their home ballpark this season, averaging 3.1 runs per game while surrendering 3.8. Houston is 7-3 in the last 10 games between the teams at Progressive Field with an average scoreline of 4.7-2.9.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Astros are second in the AL West, five games behind the division-leading Rangers. The Guardians are second in the AL Central, one game behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cleveland Guardians (-105)
Want up to a $1K risk-free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information, and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
