Yordan Alvarez will be looking to extend his 28-game on-base streak as the Houston Astros (17-17) match up against the Los Angeles Angels (19-16) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Monday for the opener of a three-game series.
The Astros are in the midst of a nine-game road trip. They won only one out of three in their last series against the Mariners, dropping the finale 3-1 on Sunday at T-Mobile Park. Kyle Tucker was 1 for 3 with one RBI.
The Angels are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They lost two of three against the Rangers in their last series, dropping the finale 16-8 on Sunday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Anthony Rendon’s on-base streak is now at 11 games as he went 2 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs.
Shohei Ohtani added one run and one RBI on two hits. The teams are meeting for the first time this season. The Astros dominated the 2022 season series between the AL West rivals (13-6), including two out of three in their most recent meeting at Minute Maid Park in September.
ON THE MOUND
Hunter Brown (3-1, 2.60 ERA) is slated to start for Houston. The righty allowed two runs over 4.1 innings in his last start, a 2-0 road defeat against the Giants on Tuesday.
He was charged with the loss, yielding four hits while striking out four and walking five.Lefty Patrick Sandoval (3-1, 2.93 ERA) will toe the rubber for Los Angeles.
Sandoval made two appearances against the Astros in 2022, both as the starter, striking out 14 and walking four over nine innings (0-1, 5.00).In his last start on Tuesday, Sandoval got the win on the road against the Cardinals. He threw five innings and gave up one run on three hits, striking out four and walking three in the 5-1 victory.
AT THE PLATE
The Houston offense is averaging 4.4 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .241/.313/.371. Alvarez leads the team in OPS at .922. The center fielder is slashing .265/.381/.541 with seven home runs, 31 RBIs, and 17 runs over 28 games.
Over the last five games, though, Houston has averaged only 2.8 runs a game while performing worse across the board (.191/.240/.312). Against lefties like Sandoval this season, the ‘Stros have a .732 OPS. Jeremy Pena is the team’s best performer against left-handers with a 1.104 OPS in 32 at-bats.
Los Angeles is slashing .257/.331/.418 for the season and averaging 5.3 runs per game. Mike Trout leads the team with a .961 OPS. The right fielder has eight home runs, 20 RBIs, and 25 runs scored with a slash line of .301/.392/.569.
The Halos have a .732 OPS against right-handers in 2023. With a 1.013 OPS over 90 at-bats, Trout also has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Houston is 9-6 on the road in 2023, scoring 4.7 runs per game while allowing 3.5 runs. Los Angeles has gone 9-7 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim this season, averaging 5.9 runs per game while surrendering 6.1. Houston is 7-3 in the last 10 games at Angel Stadium of Anaheim between the teams with an average scoreline of 4.4-2.9.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Astros are third in the AL West, two games behind the division-leading Rangers. The Angels are second in the AL West, one games behind the Rangers.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Houston Astros (-125)
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