Game Time:  2:10 pm ET, Sunday, September 19, 2021

Venue:  Minute Maid Park, Houston Texas

Where to Watch:  Bally Sports Arizona, ATT Sports-Net-SW, Bally Sports Arizona SP

 

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  Astros -220, Arizona +180; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

BetMGM:  Moneyline odds:   Astros -220, Arizona +180; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

PointsBet:  Moneyline odds:   Astros -220, Arizona +180; Over/Under:  8.5 runs

 

Diamondbacks: 47-100, last place in the NL West

Astros: 87-60, 1st place AL West

The Diamondbacks had a chance to be first the other day but because of a difference in game times, they were beaten.  The Baltimore Orioles were the first team to 100 losses on the season.  The Diamondbacks caught up to them just a couple hours later, but a loss is a loss.  From the bottom of the National League West looking up the Diamondbacks can barely see the Colorado Rockies 20 games ahead of them… and the Rockies are an awful team. They will need several seasons of solid improvements before they can imagine contending with the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Francisco Giants.  The snakes are at their lowest.

The Astros are on course for a first place American League West finish.  7 games ahead of the Oakland Athletics is a safe place to be with so few games left to play.  The postseason will land them in stadium after stadium where they will be booed loudly and often for being cheaters.  No one is likely to forget these guys stole trophies that belonged to the Boston red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers among others by banging out pitch alerts on a trashcan.  The Astros have a first place record but are definitely not respected anywhere outside of a home game. 

 

 

 

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The Diamondbacks are 2-8 over their last ten games. Logging 6 Overs, 3 Unders and 1 Push.  They went 0-1 to the Seattle Mariners, 0-2 to the Texas Rangers 2-1 against the Seattle Mariners again, were SWEPT by the Dodgers 0-3, and lost Friday to these Houston Astros 0-1.  They are sputtering towards the finish.  Giving random young minor league call-ups spots on the mound and in the bullpen … looking for something for next season.

 

The Astros are 7-3 over their last ten games.  Notching 5 Overs, 3 Unders and 2 Push. They went 1-1 against the Seattle Mariners, 2-1 against the Los Angeles Angels, 3-1 against the Houston Astros, and took game 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first of this three-game series, 1-0 Friday night.

 

 

The Diamondbacks are 25th in team batting average .235, 25th in runs scored, 29th in home runs 131, and 14th in BB.  The best way they get base runners is through walks and then they rarely get hit over and in.  

The Astros are 1st in batting average .269, 2nd in runs scored 785, 11th in home runs 192.  Top five in every batting category except home runs.  They are a juggernaut.  Something often wondered about creative cheaters is could they have won without it?  Could a team that bats this well simply not cheated and still won?  Maybe…. But the thing about unfairness is we can never really know.  Are they cheating now with these great numbers?… Maybe?

 

 

The Diamondbacks pitchers are 29th in team ERA 5.15, 29th in strikeouts 1111, 29th in WHIP.  They are next to last in everything… once again foiled by the Baltimore Orioles.  

The Astros pitching staff is 4th in team ERA 3.68, 11th in strikeouts 1333, 7th in WHIP 1.22.  They have a great rotation and a seemingly great bullpen.  They will be a force to reckon with in the postseason.  Of all the groups that will need to be checked for the now illegal substance Spider-tack, I imagine the Houston pitchers are at top of the list.  

Our Prediction for Sunday, September 19th is….  Astros  8 - Diamondbacks 3

 

 

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The Diamondbacks are 36-89 in games they are the underdog this season.

The Astros have won 62% of games they have been listed as the favorite.

Arizona has a losing record in home games, road games, Day, Night.. all MLB action.

 

Diamondbacks:  Pavin Smith 1B  Day to Day *  Seth Beer 1B  10 Day IL

Astros: Michael Brantley LF  10 Day IL  *   Jake Odorizzi  SP  10 Day IL

 

 

Zac Gallen,  the right-hander will start 2-10, 4.44 ERA, 118 strikeouts in 103 innings of work.  The 26 year old is 8-18 in career stats… his ERA has been drifting this year.  It’s hards for any pitcher to win games without run support and the losses are beginning to take their toll on his stats.  

The Astros will start Zack Greinke, RHP, 11-6, 3.94 ERA, 114 SO in 164 innings pitched, 1.14 WHIP.  Zach Greinke is a solid veteran who has a career record of 219-132.  He debuted back in 2004 and has been a tough ACE ever since.  Sure 37 is old for baseball, but not against the Diamondbacks batters it isn’t.  

"It's like I just bit into an onion,....That's how it is every time." -Arizona Manager Torey Lovullo about the 100th loss.

 

“I'm telling you he still knows how to pitch even though he's not throwing 95-96 (mph) any more. He's still extremely tough.”  -Dusty Baker, Astros Manager, about facing Madison Bumgarner

 

 

Diamondbacks:

J. Rojas, SS

K. Marte, 2B

D. Peralta, LF

K. Calhoun, DH

D. Varsho, C

C. Walker, 1B

P. Smith, RF

J. VanMeter, 3B

J. McCarthy, CF

 

Astros:

J. Altuve, 2B

A. Bregman, 3B

Y. Alvarez, LF

Y. Gurriel, 1B

K. Tucker, RF

C. Correa, SS

M. Gonzalez, DH

C. McCormick, CF

M. Maldonado, C

 

D-Backs:

Batting AVG: Josh Rojas .270

Home Runs:  Eduardo Escobar 22

Hits:  Pavilion Smith

Wins: Merril Kelly 7

Astros:

Batting AVG: Michael Brantley .315

Home Runs:  Yordan Alvarez  30

Hits:  Jose Altuve

Wins:  Lance McCullers

Saves:  Ryan Pressly

D-Backs:  Torey Lovullo

Astros:  Dusty Baker

Scattered Showers, part of the gulf coast storm season that will only get worse as global warming raises ocean temperatures.  High of 89*.