The Houston Astros travel to South Florida to battle the Miami Marlins in a three-game series.
The Astros are coming off a 2-1 loss to the Angels on Sunday. Jon Singleton was 0 for 2 in the game scoring the team’s only run. Alex Bregman and Chas McCormick both tallied two hits in the loss. Jose Urquidy was on the mound for 5.0 innings and gave up three hits, one earned run, and struck out seven batters.
The Marlins defeated the Yankees 8-7 yesterday to clinch the series. Josh Bell led the way scoring three runs and an RBI on a 1 for 3 day at the plate. Eury Perez lasted 4.0 innings, giving up four hits and four earned runs. He walked two and struck and struck out five in the win.
Can the Astros get back in the win column, or will the Marlins win their third game in a row?
Astros vs. Marlins Information & Odds
- Fixture:Â Houston @ Miami
- Date and Time:Â August 14, 2023, at 6:40 pm EST
- Location: loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida
Shark Stats
Houston Astros
Houston is second in the AL West standings with a record of 68-51. They have won six of their last ten games and are 3.0 games behind the Rangers for first. The Astros’ offense is ranked 13th, with a team batting average of .251 and an OPS of .742. Kyle Tucker leads the team in every batting category. He has a .297 batting average, 22 home runs, 88 RBIs, and 127 hits.
Framber Valdez will toe the slab for game one. He is 9-7 with an ERA of 3.30 and 144 strikeouts. Valdez has pitched 142.0 innings in 22 games and carries a WHIP of 1.09. Houston’s bullpen ranks third, with a team ERA of 3.79, 36 saves, and two complete games. They have given up 141 earned runs, struck out 1,065, and carry a WHIP of 1.27.
Miami Marlins
Miami has a record of 62-57 and is third in the NL East standings. They have lost six of their last ten games and are 14.5 games behind the Braves for first. The Marlins have a team batting average of .262, an OPS of .718, and their offense ranks third in the league. Luis Arraez leads the team with a .367 batting average, 162 hits, and an OBP of .411. Jorge Soler has hit a team-high 28 homers and collected 62 RBIs.
Braxton Garrett (6-3) will take the bump in this one. He has an ERA of 4.08 and struck out 125 batters this season. Garrett has played 23 games, pitched 117.0 innings, and has a WHIP of 1.19. Miami’s pitching ranks 16th, with a team ERA of 4.18, 31 saves, and three complete games. They have given up 486 earned runs, struck out 1,120 batters, and carry a WHIP of 1.27.
Betting Trends
Houston is 5-5 ATS in their last ten games, while Miami is 4-6 in their last ten. The Astros come in with a 55% to cash on the ML, while the Marlins garner a 60% chance to cover the run line. The Over in this one has a 54% chance of cashing. The Marlins have scored less than 4.5 points in 13 of their last 14 home games against Houston, while the Astros have scored less than 5.5 points in 9 of their last 10 against Miami. There have been less than 9.5 points scored in these two teams’ last six meetings.
Shark Fantasy Studs
- Framber Valdez– After throwing a perfect game, he struggled in his last outing. He gave up six earned runs, and eight hits, and posted 3.8 fantasy points. I look for him to bounce back and come out, slinging the ball. He faces a Miami team that has struggled at times offensively, and Valdez should be able to put together a good performance in this one.
- Jose Altuve–Â Altuve has been on an absolute tear in his last five games. He has posted 90 fantasy points during that stretch and scored 20+ three times. With Garrett on the mound for Miami, look for Altuve to come out swinging and score double-digit fantasy points again.
- Luis Arraez–Â If there is one Marlins player that you should have in your lineup, it is this Arraez.He has been a monster at the plate all season and has a batting average of .367. He has scored double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back games, and I see him doing it again in this one. I typically don’t play batters that are playing against my pitcher, but this game is on the single-game slate today.
Game Prediction
Houston has been rolling lately, and I see Valdez having a good day on the mound. This Astros lineup is loaded with players that can hit the ball really well, and I see Garrett struggling in this one. In their last five games, Miami is averaging 4.6 runs, whereas Houston is averaging 7.4 runs per game. I am riding with the Astros in this one to win and take a 1-0 series lead. I don’t think the Marlins’ offense will be able to keep up in this one.
