A pair of teams in the AL West -- the Houston Astros (24-14) and the Texas Rangers (17-19) -- clash on Thursday at 8:10 PM ET, at Minute Maid Park. The Astros will give the start to Framber Valdez (2-2), and the Rangers will turn to Glenn Otto (1-1).
The Astros dropped a 5-1 decision to the Red Sox yesterday in their last game. Luis Garcia picked up the loss. He went four innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits while striking out four in the game.
The Rangers enter the matchup following a 6-5 win against the Angels yesterday. Dennis Santana was the winning pitcher in the contest for the Rangers. He went one inning without giving up an earned run on one hit, while striking out one.
Check out everything you need to know about this matchup including the date, time, TV channel and how to stream it live online for free. Watch this game live in the US at FuboTV (7-day free trial).
What time is Houston vs. Texas?
- Game Day: Thursday, May 19, 2022
- Game Time: 20:10 ET, 19:10 CT, 18:10 MT, 17:10 PT
- Stadium: Minute Maid Park
- TV: AT&T Sportsnet Southwest (Regional restrictions may apply)
- Live Stream: Watch online with fuboTV!
Who is favored to win Houston vs. Texas?
- Houston odds: -209
- Texas odds: +174
Who are the key players for Houston?
Starting pitcher (Valdez)
- The Astros' Valdez (2-2) will make his eighth start of the season.
- The left-hander gave up one earned run in 7 2/3 innings pitched on Friday in his last outing, a matchup with the Washington Nationals.
- The 28-year-old has an ERA of 2.93, a 1.882 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a WHIP of 1.275 in seven games this season.
- The Rangers have gone 4-for-22 with a double in six innings this season against the left-hander.
Key hitters
- Yordan Alvarez has 30 hits, a team-high for the Astros. He's batting .252 with three doubles, 12 home runs and 19 walks.
- Alex Bregman is hitting .230 with nine doubles, five home runs and 24 walks.
- Kyle Tucker is hitting .246 with six doubles, seven home runs and 20 walks.
- Michael Brantley's .354 on-base percentage and .431 slugging percentage are both team-highs. He has eight doubles, a triple, three home runs and 13 walks while batting .285.
Who are the key players for Texas?
Starting pitcher (Otto)
- Otto (1-1 with a 6.38 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings pitched) gets the start for the Rangers, his fifth of the season.
- The right-hander last pitched on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox, when he tossed 4 2/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs while giving up eight hits.
- In four games this season, the 26-year-old has an ERA of 6.38, with 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are hitting .235 against him.
- Otto has a 4.15 ERA and a 1.385 WHIP against the Astros this season in 4 1/3 innings pitched, allowing a .235 batting average over one appearance.
Key hitters
- Corey Seager has racked up a team-best OBP (.322) and slugging percentage (.437), while pacing the Rangers in hits (33).
- Adolis Garcia has six doubles, two triples, six home runs and nine walks while hitting .209.
- Jonah Heim is hitting .300 with five doubles, four home runs and 10 walks.
- Brad Miller has a double, six home runs and six walks while hitting .213.
Key stats for Houston vs. Texas
- The Houston Astros have hit a league-leading 56 home runs, averaging 1.5 per game.
- The Astros average 1.3 homers per game when playing at home this season (17 total in home contests).
- The Rangers have a 9.1 K/9 this season as a pitching staff, seventh-best in baseball.
- In 14 games away from home this season, their pitchers average 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
- The Rangers' 39 home runs rank 10th in Major League Baseball.
- They've hit 14 homers, an average of 1 per game, in 14 road contests this season.
- The Astros pitching staff ranks 22nd in the league with a collective eight strikeouts per nine innings.
- The Astros average 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings at home this season.
If you want to watch the game live from the United States, head to fuboTV (7 Day Free Trial Streaming).
