Listening up, sports fans. We have a showdown in Texas as the Tampa Bay Rays travel over to face the Houston Astros at the neutral playing field that is the Minute Maid Park in Houston; where pitchers and batters seem to have a fair Go, scoring neither too high nor low.
Guiding the Rays will be Zack Littell, with a decent 4.02 ERA this season and a bit punchy, averaging 8.4 K/9. Now, on the other side of the mound, we've got Ronel Blanco for the 'Stros. This fella boasts a stingy 3.04 ERA with an even better K/9 counting at 8.9.
For the player highlight reel, the Rays are bringing in thick-hitters like Brandon Lowe who has been swinging a hot bat with a batting average of 0.313 and Yandy Diaz is not far behind, racking up a steady .297 BA.
Houston, on the other hand, seems to be holding favorable cards in Yainer Diaz, who's had a scorching 0.375 BA, and Alex Bregman with 5 balls cleared off the boundaries. Quite a line-up, I must say!
Past match-ups might hint at a slightly Houston leaning favor. Last five games? Houston led, 3 to 2, which doesn't sound that staggering but as you know, in this game, every margin counts.
The Rays are treading water just over .500 this season with 55-54, although Astros aren't that far ahead with a 57-52 record. Recent performance shows the Rays to be inconsistent with 3 wins and 2 losses in their last 5 outings. Astros, aren't setting the world on fire either, but they racked up a commendable 3 wins out of 5.
Piecing it all together, it appears that Houston Astros got an edge. They're favored at home, they've got a more consistent recent record, while boasting top-of-the-line players. That being said, I've seen milk with a longer shelf life than my predictions but here we go.
Albert’s Prediction: Houston Astros by 2