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The Houston Astros will take on the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night. The Astros were beaten by the Cleveland Guardians 1-0 on Sunday to drop to 70-40 this year. The Rangers are now 48-60 this season after their defeat by the Chicago White Sox.
Houston has been a very strong home team, carrying a 34-17 record at Minute Maid Park. The Astros lead the American League West heading into Tuesday's contest by 11 1/2 games over the Seattle Mariners.
Jose Urquidy will take the mound Tuesday for the Astros. He is 10-4 with a 3.62 ERA over 20 starts this season. In his last two starts, he's given up just two earned runs in his past 13 2/3 innings. Urquidy does have a 4.49 expected ERA, so it could be the case that he's been a little lucky this season.
The Rangers offense that he'll face is averaging just three runs per game in their previous seven, but they have given Perez good run support over the course of the year. The Houston righty is sporting a 2.30 ERA at Minute Maid Park this season and is evidently very comfortable pitching at home. Look for him to continue his home success in this one.
Texas will start Martin Perez, who is carrying a 9-2 record and 2.47 ERA. Lately, the All-Star has been lights out, surrendering just three earned runs in his past 20 innings. The Rangers' lefty has also been good on the road, sporting a 2.26 ERA away from home.
Back in April, Perez tossed seven innings of one-run ball against Houston in a 3-2 loss. He'll try to match that performance on Tuesday while his team looks to win this time around.
Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers Match Details
Fixture: Texas Rangers @ Houston Astros
Date & Time: Tuesday, August 9, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas
Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers Betting Odds
Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers Best Picks
Martin Perez held Houston to just two hits when he faced them back in April. Opponents are also averaging just four hits off of him in his previous three starts. Expect the lefty to limit baserunners again in the series opener.
"Martín Pérez, Nasty 83mph Changeup" - Rob Friedman
Pick: Martin Perez Under 5.5 Hits Allowed (+115)
Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers Betting Prediction
The Astros are 25-11 against lefty starters this year, and even with a great starter like Perez, it's hard to ignore this stat. Texas has also been unable to figure out Minute Maid Park as they're just 3-25 there in the past 28.
The good news for the Rangers is that they have won the last 10 of 11 when Perez starts on the road. The best bet here is to expect a low-scoring game. Since seven of Houston's last eight have gone under, expect this to be the case again on Tuesday.
Prediction: No Runs First Inning (-125) & Under 8 (-115)
