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The reigning American League champions Houston Astros venture to the deserts of Phoenix to open a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
The Diamondbacks hope to turn around a rough start to the season after their recent bout with the San Diego Padres left the squad with a 1-3 record.
On the other side, the Houston Astros are fresh off a series win against the Los Angeles Angels where the team took three out of the four games to garner a 3-1 record.
The Diamondbacks will send four-time All-Star left-hander Madison Bumgarner to the mound while the Astros will elect to send out young hurler Luis Garcia.
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Match Details
Fixture: Houston Astros vs Arizona Diamondbacks | MLB Regular Season 2022
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 12, 9:40 PM EDT
Venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona
Houston Astros Team Preview
The Houston Astros got off to a near-perfect start to the season. The team seemed to fire on all cylinders with a 3-1 record to start the 2022 campaign. The offense has averaged over 5 runs per game.
Led by a sterling top-3 of Jose Siri, Jeremy Pena, and Alex Bregman, the Astros have set the tone for defending its American League champions crown.
Key Player: Luis Garcia
On the mound, Luis Garcia looks to finally break through as a mainstay in Dusty Baker's rotation.The Venezuelan right-hander pitched to a 3.48 earned run average over 28 starts in 2021 for the Houston Astros.
He will be now looking to take the next step in his development. A matchup against one of the National League's weaker rosters should provide a nice opportunity for Garcia to progress as a pitcher.
Houston Astros Projected Lineup:
Manager Dusty Baker will send the following lineup out to play in Game 1 against the Dbacks:
- Jose Siri CF
- Jeremy Pena, SS
- Alex Bregman, 3B
- Yordan Alvarez, DH
- Jose Altuve, 2B
- Kyle Tucker, LF
- Yuli Gurriel, 1B
- Chas McCormick, CF
- Martin Maldonado, C
Altuve has gotten off to a slow start as the second baseman. He is short in stature but has been equally short on hits. He hopes to set things right as the series commences.
Arizona Diamondbacks Team Preview
The Diamondbacks have one of the most dismal outlooks entering the 2022 campaign. They are sharing a division with the 2021 National League West champions San Francisco Giants and 2020 World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers. Also present are the consistently-improving San Diego Padres.
It was already likely that the Diamondbacks would finish towards the bottom of the NL West. However, with the Rockies acquiring bats such as Randal Grichuk and 2016 National League Most Valuable Player Kris Bryant, the Diamonbacks look destined for a last-place finish.
Key Player: Madison Bumgarner
The four-time All-Star pitcher's career has gone downhill since departing the San Francisco Giants. Gone are the days of the left-hander with the peculiar arm angle who helped the Giants to 3 World Series titles.
While he is overpaid for his production, Bumgarner is looking to regain some of the form that made him the elite pitcher he once was.
Arizona Diamondbacks Projected Lineup:
Manager Tory Luvollo will submit the following lineup on Tuesday:
- Josh Rojas, 3B
- Ketel Marte, 2B
- Daulton Varsho, RF
- Christian Walker, 1B
- David Peralta, CF
- Carson Kelly, C
- Seth Beer, DH
- Pavin Smith, LF
- Nick Ahmed, SS
Ketel Marte hopes to prove Arizona Diamondbacks' management right after signing a contract that will pay the young infielder $76 million and keep him in Arizona until 2027.
Houston Astros vs Arizona Diamondbacks Predictions
The only real hope that the Diamondbacks have of keeping this game close is if Madison Bumgarner can silence the noisy Astros bats.
However, that seems unlikely, with the team sending a lot of right-handed power to the plate. Expect the Astros to slug three homers off Bumgarner and maintain a comfortable lead as Garcia coasts to a quality start.
