Game: Houston Astros @ Seattle Mariners
Time: 10:05 p.m.
Odds: Astros +128, Mariners -139
Total: 8
It’s not quite a must-win situation for the Seattle Mariners yet, but it’s getting close. With a 5-1 loss to the visiting Astros last night, the Mariners (84-72) fell 1.5 games behind Houston (86-71) in the race for the third and final wild-card playoff spot in the American League.
Seattle has two games left against the Astros before wrapping up the regular season with a four-game home series against the AL West-leading Texas Rangers (88-68). Seattle will play that series at home too. The Mariners have dropped their last four games overall and nine of their last ten games against teams with winning records. Seattle will have to come through with some wins if they are going to reach the postseason.
The Astros won the first game of the series on Monday thanks to Justin Verlander’s outstanding performance. The 40-year-old right-hander held a shutout going into the ninth inning and finished with eight strikeouts and one walk while giving up one run on three hits. The win came after the Astros were swept by the Kansas City Royals over the weekend.
Last night for the Astros, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker hit home runs, ending Mariners ace Luis Castillo’s string of eight victories in a row. Despite the win, Houston is still 2.5 games behind division-leading Texas. Right-handed pitchers Cristian Javier (9-4, 4.64 ERA) for Houston and Seattle’s George Kirby (11-10, 3.58) will face off tonight.
Over his last five starts, Javier has a 5.25 ERA and a 0-2 record. Despite allowing just one run on three hits over five innings last Wednesday, he was not involved in the decision. The Astros defeated the visiting Baltimore Orioles 2-1. Javier tied a season-high with 11 strikeouts while issuing just two walks.
In eight career appearances (five starts), Javier is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA against the Mariners. In his lone encounter with the Mariners this season on May 5 in Seattle, he pitched well but didn’t receive a decision. The Astros won 6-4 thanks to Javier’s seven innings of work, which included eight strikeouts, three walks, and three runs on three hits.
With a 6-3 win over the Oakland A’s last Wednesday, Kirby achieved his first victory since August 5. In seven innings, he allowed three runs on eight hits, three strikeouts, and no walks. In two starts against the Astros in his career, Kirby is 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA. On July 6 in Houston, he defeated them 5-1 allowing just one run in 6.2 innings.
Seattle is just 1-4 SU in its last five games and just 2-5 SU in its last seven at home. The Mariners have won eight of the last ten against Houston. The Astros, however, have had success playing in Seattle. Houston is 10-2 SU in its last 12 road games and the Astros are 7-2 in the last nine games against the Mariners played in Seattle.
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