Taking a look at the pitching matchup for the Houston Astros as they take on the Athletics on Saturday night?
The Houston Astros are set to take on the Athletics on Saturday night with the series tied 1-1, with two games left to go in the series as well as the regular season.
While the Athletics have been eliminated from playoff contention through having an inconsistent season, the Astros can still make the playoffs as they are tied with the Texas Rangers for the top spot in the AL West with a record of 79-81.
Between the Astros and Rangers, whoever does win the division will secure the playoff spot, but the other will be sent home and start the offseason early.
With that said, Houston must do everything possible to win this game, and there is no question that the pitching will be a key part of it. So, let's take a look at the pitching matchup between the Astros and the Athletics for Saturday night.
In this game, the Astros will be starting right-handed pitcher Hayden Wesneski, while the Athletics will be starting right-handed pitcher Jack Perkins.
Starting with Wesneski, he has had a solid year for Houston as he has an overall record of 5-2 and has been one of the more consistent pitchers on this Astros roster.
For the season, Wesneski has pitched 54 innings, and in those innings, he has allowed 43 hits and four home runs, has walked 19 batters, has struck out 41 batters, and has recorded a WHIP of 1.15 and an ERA of 3.50.
When looking at Wesneski's performance this season, he has been solid for the Astros and has arguably been one of the better options for Houston on the mound.
In this game against the Athletics, if Wesneski can provide some length and shut down the Athletics from the plate, he should be able to give the Astros a great chance to win this game if Houston can take advantage on offense.
On the other side, Perkins has had some struggles this season as he has posted an overall record of 3-12 and has struggled to be consistent all year long.
Throughout this season, Perkins has pitched 116 innings and in those innings he has allowed 120 hits and 20 home runs, has walked 48 batters, has struck out 131 batters, has totaled a WHIP of 1.45 and an ERA of 5.90.
After seeing the way Perkins has played this year, it does appear that he struggled on the mound for the Athletics and has some work to do in the offseason to improve his performance.
For Perkins in this game, the biggest matchup for him will be against Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez who has had quite the impressive season as he chases the Triple Crown. If Perkins struggles on Saturday night, Alavrez has the ability to take over the game and could very well break the game open if Perkins is not careful.
So, heading into this game, it will be interesting to watch the pitching matchup between Wesneski and Perkins to see how Wesneski performs against the lineup of the Athletics, if Perkins can fare well against Alvarez, because this game has key implications for Houston and could very well determine if the Astros are a playoff team or if they go home early.
