Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Prediction: Will the Rangers Get to Justin Verlander, Astros?
The Texas Rangers play the Houston Astros in the final game of their series. Will the Rangers get to Justin Verlander and the Astros tonight? Matt McCuen breaks down this game.
Matt McCuen - September 6, 2023, 10:28 AM EDT
7 minTexas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Prediction: Will the Rangers Get to Justin Verlander, Astros?
The Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers will clash from the Lone Star State for a pivotal matchup tonight.
Rangers vs. Astros Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 6, 2023
- Time: 8:05 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Prediction
The Astros have been red-hot in the second half of the season. The hot run has moved the Astros into first place in the AL West, a division that they have owned since 2017. The Astros have won the division in five of the last six years.
Kyle Tucker has been the star of this loaded Astros lineup. Tucker is having the best year of his career, which earned him a trip to the all-star game. Tucker is batting a team-best .299 while leading the team in home runs (26) and RBIs (99).
Jose Altuve continues to be one of the toughest outs in baseball. Last night, he hit a home run in his first three at-bats of the game. Altuve is hitting .321 with 15 home runs but has only played in 86 games this season due to injury.
Yordan Alvarez remains one of the most feared power bats in baseball. Alvarez has blasted 24 home runs and driven in 79 runs in ninty two games this season,
Justin Verlander will toe the rubber for the Astros tonight. Verlander, who won a World Series with the Astros last year, inked a contract with the Mets in the offseason. Things did not go according to plan, and he returned to Houston at the deadline. Verlander is 10-7 with a 3.34 ERA.
The Rangers have been playing their worst baseball of the season over the last month. Texas will begin play outside of a playoff position for the first time since April. The Rangers trail the Blue Jays by 0.5 game and the Mariners by one game in the AL Wildcard race. Additionally, Texas trails Houston by two games in the AL West.
Corey Seager is not the man to blame for the Texas slide. Seager is having an MVP-level season, batting .343 paired with 28 home runs and84 runs batted in.
Outfielder Adolis Garcia has been the best power source for the Rangers. Garcia leads the Rangers with 34 home runs while driving in 100 runs.
Marcus Semien has put up good offensive numbers all season. Semien is batting .272 on the season with 20 home runs and 82 runs batted in.
Max Scherzer will get the call for the Rangers tonight. Similar to Verlander, Scherzer was added at the trade deadline from the New York Mets. There are some reports that there were issues between the two players, which makes tonight a bit more interesting. Scherzer is 12-5 on the season with an ERA of 3.55.
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros Pick
Yes, Texas has been ice-cold as of late, but this will be a desperation spot for them tonight, and they have their best arm on the mound.
Scherzer has been throwing the baseball great as of late. In his last two outings, he has gone thirteen innings, allowing just one run.
Texas has solid offensive numbers against Verlander. This current Texas lineup is batting .257 in one hundred nine at-bats. Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, in particular, have seen Verlander often in their careers, and they have good numbers against him.
Pick: Texas Rangers ML -125 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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