The Houston Astros (39-33) host the New York Mets (33-38) at Minute Maid Park on Monday to open a three-game Interleague series. The Mets are embarking on a six-game road trip.
They won only one out of three in their last series against the Cardinals, dropping the finale 8-7 on Sunday at Citi Field. Francisco Lindor was 1 for 3 with a home run and two runs. Mark Canha added one run and one RBI on one hit and two walks.
The Astros are kicking off the final series of their nine-game homestand. They were just swept in three games against the Reds, dropping the finale 9-7 on Sunday at Minute Maid Park for their fourth straight loss.
Alex Bregman went 3 for 5 with a triple and a double. He scored two runs and had one RBI. The teams are meeting for the first time this season. Last season, the Astros won all four games between the teams, including a sweep in their most recent two-game series at Citi Field in June.
ON THE MOUND
Max Scherzer (5-2, 4.45 ERA) is slated for the start for New York. The right-hander allowed six runs over 3.1 innings in his last start, a 7-6 home defeat against the Yankees on Tuesday. He yielded seven hits while striking out two in the no-decision.
Right-hander Hunter Brown (6-3, 3.35 ERA) gets the ball for Houston. In his last start on Tuesday, Brown got the win at home against the Nationals. He threw seven scoreless innings and gave up four hits, striking out four and walking three in the 6-1 victory.
AT THE PLATE
The New York offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .241/.319/.396. Pete Alonso leads the team in OPS at .872.
The first baseman is slashing .231/.326/.546 with 22 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 41 runs over 63 games. Against right-handed pitchers like Brown this season, the Mets have a .714 OPS.
Alonso also is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .865 OPS in 161 at-bats. Houston is slashing .244/.314/.398 for the season and averaging 4.5 runs per game. Yordan Alvarez leads the team with a .978 OPS.
The left fielder has 17 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 41 runs scored with a slash line of .277/.388/.589. Houston is averaging only 3.4 runs per game in the last five with their slash line slipping across the board (.234/.298/.394).
The ‘Stros have a .698 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a .970 OPS over 131 at-bats, Alvarez also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
New York is 16-23 on the road in 2023, scoring 4.7 runs per game while allowing 5.1 runs. Houston has lost four in a row at home. The ‘Stros are 20-18 at home this season, averaging 4.3 runs per game while surrendering 3.9. In the last 10 games at Minute Maid Park between the teams, Houston is 9-1 with an average scoreline of 6.6-3.7.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Mets are fourth in the NL East, 11 games behind the division-leading Braves. The Astros are second in the AL West, four games behind the Rangers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Houston Astros (-120)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
