Astros vs Rangers getaway day features two dominant pitchers in a battle of Texas rivalry

We have a cheat day on the baseball schedule. There are only six games on the diamond today, and only one of them is the start of a new series. I often think about the players’ mentality on breakout days; Some players are going home, some are in the middle of the journey.

In this one, we get a breakout day and Texas battle as the Astros take on the Rangers.

The Houston Astros are expected to be one of the teams to miss the playoffs this year. But counting them seems a bit silly because the team tends to do everything they can to win. This isn’t an opportunity for them to be a proven cheater, but rather a reflection that they will win games no matter who they have on their roster.

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They’re well under .500 this year, but no one else in their division is that impressive. They have a chance to make a deal at the deadline or do something that will give them a winning streak and position themselves for a shot in the league.

The one they probably won’t change or do anything about is today’s starting players. Getting the ball is right-handed pitcher Spencer Arrighetti, who is great in limited innings. He is 6-1 on the season with a 1.32 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. If he had enough strikeouts he would be the league leader.

He started the season later but has not allowed more than two earned runs in any game this season. He also allowed just three hits and no runs in his last 12.1 innings. 7.1 of those came against the Rangers.

Houston Astros starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti walks in the dugout before a game against the New York Mets on March 29, 2025 at Daikin Park. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

Speaking of the Texas Rangers, they are also under .500 and will need to make some adjustments if they want to get to a point where they win their division. I don’t know if this team has a ton of capital moving forward, but they’re only a few years away from a World Series win, so they still have pieces that can make a difference.

I like the Rangers’ roster, but I realize they might need another bat. Their pitching staff is a strong one and I think they will be able to go the distance.

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One of the arms they will be riding is tonight’s starter, Nathan Eovaldi. For the year, Eovaldi is 5-5 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. His numbers are a bit uglier than usual due to a couple of poor starts at the beginning of the season. He allowed 11 earned runs in his first two games of the season and allowed 15 in his last eight starts. He was a lock against the Astros a few weeks ago as he allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings.

Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers celebrates against the Houston Astros during the second game of Game Two of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 16, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

In my opinion, there is only one way to play this matchup. I take it down in five strokes. I feel like both pitchers will step in. I normally neutralize pitchers who face a team twice in a short period of time. If they do a good job at first, I usually take over. If they perform poorly, I usually buy from the bottom. But in this case, I think both of these guys are too good to assume they will fail.

Give me the unders through five innings because I don’t want to deal with bullpens blowing it up for a full game.

Follow David on X/Twitter for more sports betting information and games: @futureprez2024