Can The Astros Get Hot In Arlington?

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After claiming the AL West Division title this season over the Texas Rangers, the Houston Astros currently find themselves trailing 2-0 in the ALCS against the them. In a Monday afternoon showdown in Houston, the Rangers narrowly secured a 5-4 victory, establishing a commanding 2-0 series lead as they head back to Arlington, Texas for games three through five. Game three will feature a pitching matchup between the Astros' right-handed pitcher Cristian Javier (10-5, 4.56) and the returning Max Scherzer (13-6, 3.77) of the Texas Rangers. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:03 PM EST.

The Astros finished the regular season with a four-game winning streak and then triumphed in three of four games against the Twins in the divisional round, making them one of the hottest teams in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they've now run into an even hotter team, the Texas Rangers, and are facing a 2-0 deficit as they hit the road. Despite an outstanding performance by Justin Verlander, who allowed only two runs in 6.1 innings in the series opener, the Astros fell 2-0. The bullpen also excelled, contributing 2.2 innings of shutout baseball. In game two, the bullpen dominated once again, delivering 6.1 innings of one-hit baseball. However, starter Framber Valdez struggled, allowing five runs in just 2.1 innings of work. Despite two home runs from Yordan Alvarez, the Astros came up short with a 5-4 loss. To get back on track, they now need to secure two wins in Texas.

The Astros are pinning their hopes on righty Cristian Javier in game three, considering it a near must-win situation. Despite the 2-0 deficit, they have confidence in Javier, who boasts an impressive postseason track record with a 5-1 record in 15 games, including three starts, and a remarkable 1.91 ERA. During last year's march to the World Title, Javier went 2-0 in three starts with a minuscule 0.71 ERA, allowing just two hits over 12.2 innings while maintaining a strikeout rate of 11.71 per nine innings. Javier has already notched a win in this postseason, going five innings and surrendering only one hit in game three against the Twins.

The Texas Rangers continue their remarkable journey to perfection with back-to-back victories in Houston, as they head home for three crucial games, needing just two more wins to advance to the World Series for the first time since 2011. The Rangers have achieved this despite being the first team to enter the postseason with more blown saves than saves in a season. Their beleaguered bullpen has now delivered 5.1 innings in the ALCS, allowing just one run. In their perfect 7-0 start to the playoffs, the bullpen has conceded only five runs in 22.1 innings of work. In the Monday game, starter Nathan Eovaldi pitched six innings, giving up five hits and three runs while striking out nine before turning the game over to the bullpen. The bullpen allowed just one run, securing a 5-4 victory. The Rangers' offense played a vital role, scoring five runs in the first three innings, including a home run from Jonah Heim.

The Texas Rangers' starting rotation will receive a significant boost as three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer returns to the mound on Wednesday night after missing the first two rounds of the playoffs due to a muscle strain in his throwing shoulder. This marks Scherzer's 23rd career start and 28th postseason appearance overall, and he's representing his fifth different team in the postseason. Throughout his postseason career, he holds a 7-7 record with a 3.58 ERA. Scherzer has gone 0-2 in three starts over the last two seasons in the postseason with the Mets and Dodgers, following a stellar 3-0 run in 2019 that contributed to the Nationals winning the World Series. Given the extended layoff, it will be intriguing to see how long the Rangers opt to keep Scherzer on the mound on Wednesday night, with reliable starters Dane Dunning and Andrew Heaney ready in reserve.

Headlines 🚨

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Trends 📈📉 via Oddsshark

⚾️ Astros at Rangers

• Houston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas

• Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas

• Texas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games

• Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

🏈 Jaguars at Saints

• The total has gone UNDER in 10 of New Orleans' last 10 games.

Public Money 🤑 via VSiN at 9AMCT

🏈 NFL

34% of bets and 55% of money is on NO -1

Future Odds 🔮 via Bovada Sportsbook

Injury Report 🏥 via ESPN

JAX (WR) Zay Jones | Questionable - Knee, did not practice yesterday

JAX (QB) Trevor Lawrence | Questionable - Knee, was limited at practice yesterday but is optimistic to play on Thursday

NO (RB) Jamaal Williams | IR - Hamstring, returned from IR yesterday

Picks 🔒

Astros +112: Javier is 4-0 in his last 5 postseason games while only giving up 3 hits in 17.2 innings. The Rangers offense cooled down after Framber was pulled for the last 6 innings. The Astros bullpen has not allowed a single run in two games.