Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Houston Astros by 2Okay, let's chop this up. We got the Astros packing up for an away game in that batting-friendly Angel Stadium. Don't get too overexcited about swinging bats though! Houston's starting pitcher, Ryan Gusto, isn't having too bad of a season, skirting by with a 4.50 ERA and striking out a solid 10 per 9 innings. The Angels' starter, Kyle Hendricks, is showing some roundness on the edges this season, carrying a 4.88 ERA and only dealing about 6 outs per 9 innings by way of strikeouts.
The Astros are sharpened up on the batting front with top players like Jeremy Pena hitting close to .370. Next in line, the old reliable, Jose Altuve, still buzzing with a .327 average. And let's not forget about Isaac Paredes who's not winning any batting titles with a .223 average but still knows his way around the home plate.
Flipping our eyes to the Angels, we have big names like Mike Trout posting a .311 average, not bad, eh? Then there's Jo Adell proving that you don't have to hit for average when you can slam it out of the park with a team-leading 10 dingers. The Angels batting lineup is also bolstered with Nolan Schanuel and Taylor Ward, both fine players but not exactly setting the world on fire.
Looking at the past, the Astros and the Angels seem to have a game of tag going on, taking turns besting each other - just last month, they had a spicy 9-1 brawl favoring the Angels, but the most recent game saw the Astros narrow escaping with a 3-2 win. And 'season-wise', the Astros are clearly having a better run with a 44-33 record, while the Angels are just hanging on with a 37-39 record.
Bearing all this data in mind, I reckon this is not going to be a walk in the park for either team, but the smart money might want to ride with the Astros. I see them taking it down by a margin. But hey, that's just me talking.
Albert’s Prediction: Houston Astros by 2