The Cleveland Guardians will be home to face the Houston Astros Friday night. The Astros beat the Guardians 6-0 on Thursday, bringing their record to 69-38. Cleveland is now 54-51 following their defeat, one game back of the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central division. With Houston's win on Thursday, the Astros have now won 20 of their previous 29 road games.
"McCormick brought the spice! #LevelUp" - Astros
Framber Valdez gets the call Friday for the Astros, sporting a 9-4 record and a 2.80 ERA. The Guardians offense he'll be up against ranks 16th in runs per game and 17th in OPS. In his previous start, Valdez threw seven frames, giving up five hits and three earned runs, while he struck out seven in a loss to the Seattle Mariners.
He's been very reliable for Houston, and as a result, he was named to his first All-Star game this year. Expect the southpaw to put together another good performance in the second game of this weekend set.
"Framber Valdez, Nasty Curveballs." - Rob Friedman
Hunter Gaddis will be making his major league debut Friday for the Guardians. He's made just two Triple-A starts in his career, and most of his minor league outings have come at the Double-A level. Sometimes rookies have an advantage due to the unfamiliarity, but this Astros lineup is patient and gets on base a ton.
Gaddis has been excellent in the minors, but we'll see if he can handle a major league offense on Friday.
Cleveland Guardians vs. Houston Astros Match Details
Fixture: Houston Astros @ Cleveland Guardians
Date & Time: Friday, August 5, 7:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland Guardians vs. Houston Astros Betting Odds
Cleveland Guardians vs. Houston Astros Best Picks
Last time Valdez faced Cleveland, he went seven innings without allowing a walk. He's only given out one free pass in each of his two recent starts, and Cleveland ranks 20th in walk rate. Expect the Astros' starter to stay under two walks in this one.
Pick: Framber Valdez Under 1.5 Walks (-125)
Cleveland Guardians vs. Houston Astros Betting Prediction
The Astros have dominated Cleveland in recent history, now winning 19 of the last 26 meetings. They've also gone 25-9 in their past 34 games playing teams with winning records. Look for another Astros win behind their All-Star hurler on Friday
Prediction: Astros -1.5 (+105)