Dropping the series to the Mariners was a missed opportunity that should have added cushion to the lead in the AL West. Now they head into the series against the Los Angeles Angels, and this should be an automatic sweep. The Angels are 49-76 (.392). Anything less than a sweep, or at the very least two out of three, would be an embarrassing letdown.
The three-game series starts Tuesday at Daikin Park, as the Astros continue their homestand. The Astros are coming off a mixed week: a series win over the Giants and a series loss to the Mariners, when they should have had back-to-back series wins.
As for the Angels, they took three of four from Texas, then dropped two of three to the Royals.
The Angels are the worst team in all of MLB, sitting last. They are 14 games back of Houston. The Astros hold a two-game lead over Texas (with the tiebreaker), four games over Seattle (without it). This should be an easy way for the Astros to get a little cushion to hold on to the division lead.
Here is a look at the projected pitching matchup for the series:
Tuesday Aug 18:
Cristian Javier 1-3, 6.68 ERA vs. rookie George Klassen 1-1, 5.52 ERA
Javier's been rough since returning from injury, and he hasn't been giving the Astros the length they need. Klassen, on the other hand, is coming off his best outing, six innings, two runs allowed, five strikeouts, one walk, in his fourth career start. Javier needs to give the Astros length, but the likelihood of that happening, based on his performance since returning, is very slim.
Wednesday Aug 19:
Ethan Pecko vs. Walbert Ureña 8-8, 2.67 ERA
Pecko will make his major league debut Wednesday, called up after Houston ran out of options in the rotation. He's been the organization's top pitching prospect, so there's real excitement here, but also real pressure debuting in a big league game.
Thursday Aug 20:
Peter Lambert 8-6, 3.11 ERA vs. Grayson Rodriguez 3-5, 7.17 ERA
Lambert has been the rotation's rock, five-plus innings in nine straight starts, a 2.88 ERA over that stretch. Rodriguez has struggled badly since coming to LA in the Taylor Ward trade. So if Lambert can continue to be consistent and give the Astros length, they should have a leg up on the Angels, aside from the one they already have since the Angels are the worst team in the entire league.
On paper, a very winnable series for Houston against a last-place team. But "should win" isn't the same as "will win," the Mariners series just proved that.
