This Sunday the (85-47) Houston Astros and the (57-75) Los Angeles Angels will play the final game of this three-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 4:07 PM EST inside Angel Stadium. The last time these two teams matched up the Astros ended up taking two of three games and winning that series.
The Houston Astros are coming into this one after sweeping the Texas Rangers in a short two-game series. Houston looked great at the plate and on the mound, as they continued to make it difficult for the Rangers to score.
The Los Angeles Angels are entering this one after winning their previous series against the New York Yankees. The Angels took two of three games, as they continued to make it difficult for the Yankees when they were at the plate. They will need to stay solid on the mound in this one if they want to take down the Astros.
This game was written/publishe d before last night's results.
The Houston Astros are currently in first place in the AL West, as they have an 11.0 game lead over the second-place Seattle Mariners. They are also 7-3 in their last 10, as they have continued to play great this season. Luckily, they are also holding the number one seed in the AL Playoffs, as the Yankees have continued to slide in the wrong direction.
At the plate, the Astros are scoring 4.59 runs per game and they are hitting .246 as a team. This is the ninth most runs scored per game and the 13th highest overall team batting average. They have consistently reached base safely all season and they drive in men when they are in scoring position, as well. They can score multiple different ways when they are at the plate. Houston has multiple players that can change the game with one swing of the bat, as they are hitting 1.32 home runs per game. This is the fourth highest average in the MLB, as keeping up with the Astro s on the scoreboard is not easy. I expect them to stay unaggressive once they have reached base safely, as well. They have only stolen 65 bases this season, which is the 18th most in the league. They allow their bats to move their base runners in the scoring position.
According to MLB.com, José Urquidy will be getting the start on the mound. He has been solid this season, as he is 12-5 with a 3.69 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He did struggle in his last start, though. He only pitched for 5.0 innings and he gave up four hits and three earned runs. The Orioles got to him early, as the Astros were forced to turn to their bullpen. But, he has been even better on the road this season. He is currently 7-2 on the road with a 4.24 ERA, as he will be looking to bounce back in this one. Luckily, Houston also has the lowest overall bullpen ERA in the MLB, as their relievers have been getting the job done all season.