The Houston Astros (41-25, 18-11 home) host the New York Mets (45-24, 21-14 away) in a two-game interleague showdown beginning on Tuesday night. The two teams will meet for the first time this season and face off again later this month in a two-game series in New York.
First pitch of the series opener is at 8:10 p.m. EST inside Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The Astros are favored in the opener (-135), and the over-under total is nine runs.
What to Know – New York Mets
New York comes into the new week with the second-best record in the game, only tailing their crosstown rival Yankees. The Mets have won seven out of their last ten games and own a 5.5-game advantage in the National League East division.
Right-hander Trevor Williams (1-3, 3.53 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) gets the call on the mound for the Mets. Williams has traditionally been used as an opener, but the 30-year-old has logged five innings off work on the hill in two of his last four starts. For the year, Williams has seen 35.2 innings of action, surrendering 14 earned runs on 37 hits, and eight walks, with 33 strikeouts.
Pete Alonso leads the majors with 64 RBIs through 68 games, thanks to 19 home runs. The Mets’ investment in Francisco Lindor is paying dividends, with the shortstop swatting 11 home runs, bringing in 52 runs, and scoring 43 runs himself.
The Mets lead the majors with a .261 team batting average, scoring 5.0 runs per game. New York’s pitching staff is also one of the best in baseball, ranking tenth with a 3.80 team earned run average.
What to Know – Houston Astros
The Astros are right there with the Mets for one of the best teams in the game. Houston’s been up and down over their last ten, with a 5-5 mark, but have built a ten-game lead in the American League West.
Jose Urquidy (5-3, 4.99 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) is the probable starter for the hosts. The right-hander has been a mixed bag on the hill this season, providing the Astros with some quality trips and some duds. The 27-year-old has tossed 61.1 innings over 12 appearances, allowing 34 earned runs on 81 hits, and 12 walks while racking up 47 strikeouts.
Yordan Alvarez is the offensive leader in a stacked Houston lineup. The slugger paces the Astros with 18 home runs and 47 runs batted in, backed by a .311 batting average. Kyle Tucker (13 home runs) and Jose Altuve (12 home runs) add additional support in the top of the lineup for the Astros.
Houston averages 4.3 runs per contest thanks to a team batting average of .238 that sits 19th in the MLB. The Astros’ pitching staff is third in the league with a 3.04 team ERA.
The Pick is In
Two of the best teams in baseball square off in the Lone Star state, giving fans a change of pace from the divisional series. Both are even on paper, and each team shouldn’t have any problems scoring runs on these starters.
We like the road team at plus-money here in what’s basically a toss-up. Take the value play.
The Pick: New York Mets ML
