Hunter Brown is set to make his first start of the season as the Houston Astros (86-48) match up against the Texas Rangers (58-75) at Minute Maid Park on Monday for the opener of a three-game series. The Rangers are in the midst of a seven-game road trip. They were just swept in four games against the Red Sox, dropping the finale 5-2 on Sunday at Fenway Park for their eighth straight loss. Adolis Garcia was 1 for 4 with a double and one RBI. The Astros are playing the first of six games at home. They won two of three against the Angels in their last series, taking the finale 9-1 on Sunday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Jose Altuve went 3 for 4 with a home run and a double. He drove in three runs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Astros have won 12 of 16 in the season series between the AL West rivals, including a 5-3 victory in their most recent meeting on Wednesday at Globe Life Field. Cristian Javier got the win, allowing three runs on four hits over five innings and striking out seven, and Rafael Montero picked up his 10th save with a scoreless ninth.
ON THE MOUND
Martin Perez (10-5, 2.69 ERA) is in line to get the start for Texas. The left-hander faces the Astros for the second successive start. He allowed five runs over five innings on Wednesday, a 5-3 road defeat. He took the loss, scattering nine hits while striking out five and walking four. Over four previous starts against the Astros this season, Perez has allowed 13 earned runs over 26 innings (1-2, 4.50). He has struck out 16 and walked eight. Righty Brown is on the mound for Houston, his season debut.
AT THE PLATE
The Texas offense is averaging 4.5 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .244/.307/.400. Nathaniel Lowe leads the team in OPS at .864. The first baseman is slashing .305/.358/.506 with 23 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 63 runs over 128 games. Over the last five games, though, Texas has averaged only 3.4 runs a game while slashing worse across the board (.228/.302/.333). Against right-handed pitchers like Brown this season, the Rangers have a .685 OPS. Lowe also is the team’s best hitter against right-handers with a .808 OPS in 340 at-bats. Houston is slashing .246/.319/.421 for the season and averaging 4.5 runs per game. Four Astros hitters have an OPS of .800 or better, led by Yordan Alvarez (.995). The left fielder has 31 home runs, 82 RBIs, and 78 runs scored with a slash line of .294/.398/.597. The ‘Stros have a .761 OPS against lefties in 2022. With a 1.063 OPS over 111 at-bats, Altuve has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Texas is on a four-game losing streak away from Globe Life Field, bringing their record to 30-37 in 2022. The Rangers have scored 4.8 runs per game away from home, while allowing 4.3 runs. Houston has gone 43-20 in front of their home fans this season, averaging 4.5 runs per game while surrendering 3.2. Houston is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings at Minute Maid Park with an average scoreline of 4.4-2.8.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Astros lead the AL West by 10 games over the Mariners. The Rangers are third in the AL West, 27 games behind the Astros.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Houston Astros (-160)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
