AL West Cellar Dwellers Battle In Texas
The Texas Rangers try to earn a second straight win over the visiting Houston Astros when the division and Texas rivals continue their four-game series on Tuesday night. Texas took the series opener on Monday night to pull within a game of the fourth-place Astros in the AL West standings. Houston has dropped five of its last six contests and is struggling to put runs on the board. These two rivals should have another good game in this one, so make sure you check out our in-depth preview of the contest before you make any bet online.
Let’s check the latest MLB Picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB Odds for Astros vs Rangers. We’ve plenty of MLB Predictions.
Offensive Struggles Continue for Astros
The Houston Astros have one of the better lineups in baseball when things are going well, but they have not been going well of late. Houston had eight runs in a win on Sunday over the Toronto Blue Jays, but over its five losses in a six-game stretch, it has averaged just 1.8 runs.
Houston is batting .211 as a team and managed just eight hits and two runs in Monday’s loss. One of those hits was a solo home run by Yordan Alvarez, who has four home runs but just six total hits this season. He’s batting .167 with a double, seven RBIs and six runs scored.
Designated hitter Michael Brantley has been one of the more consistent Astros at the plate, batting a team-best .311. He’s on a four-game hitting streak after going 1-for-4 with a walk on Monday night, amassing seven hits over those four contests.
Right-hander Jake Odorizzi will make the start on Tuesday night. He’s 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in three starts, and he didn’t make it out of the first inning of his last start. Facing the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, Odorizzi picked up just two outs while allowing six runs (three earned) on two hits while striking out two and walking four.
Rangers Starting to Come Together, Pick up Wins
The Texas Rangers made some offseason moves in hopes to put them in the AL West, race but early in the season, nothing seemed to help. After four wins in five games, the Rangers are starting to feel more confident that this group can make a run at a division title.
“Everything’s kind of clicking on both sides, the chemistry is getting better,” Rangers shortstop Corey Seager said after Monday’s win. “There’s a lot of new faces and a lot of new parts that we’re coming together and are starting to figure themselves out.”
Seager is one of those new faces, coming to the team from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason. He’s batting .258 with a double, a home run, nine RBIs, and six runs scored, and he had an RBI single in Monday’s win.
Another new face, second baseman Marcus Semien, also had an RBI single on Monday night and is batting .188 with four doubles, six RBIs, and nine runs scored. Those two and second-year star Adolis Garcia (two home runs, 10 RBIs) are going to be key to the team’s title hopes all season long.
Left-hander Taylor Hearn will make his fourth start of the season on Tuesday night. The 27-year-old is 0-1 with a 7.59 ERA, striking out 14 and walking six in 10⅔ innings of work. He has yet to go over four innings in any start this season, lasting just three innings in his last outing against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.
Astros vs Rangers Head-to-Head
The Texas Rangers are trying to snap a trend in their season series with the Houston Astros, as they try to win more than they lose against their division rival for the first time since 2016. The Rangers have been competitive at home over the last three seasons, going 14-10 against the Astros.
Houston tied Texas 5-5 in games played at Globe Life Field a season ago. The MLB lines may be taking that into account in giving the visitors the slight edge in Tuesday’s contest.
Astros vs Rangers Game Information
- Game: Astros (7-9) vs Rangers (6-10)
- Location: Globe Life Field
- Day/Time: Tuesday, April 26th, 8:05 p.m. ET
- Astros vs Rangers Live stream: MLB.tv
Astros vs Rangers Betting Lines
Astros vs Rangers Prediction
Neither of the pitchers for this game are expected to dominate the opposition, so this game could end up being a high-scoring affair. The Houston Astros haven’t shown a lot of pop lately, while the Texas Rangers have. For that reason, we are taking the home team in this one.
When making your MLB picks, take Texas to get the win at home.
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