Houston Astros at San Diego Padres

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
HOU	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0
SD	0	1	0	3	0	1	0	2	—	7	12	0

Neither club has a starter locked in for this one yet, but that's almost the whole story with the Padres right now. Between Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta and Lucas Giolito all working back from injury, San Diego's rotation depth is thinner than it's been all year, and whoever they trot out Sunday is pitching with zero margin for error.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Astros(59-57)

LWLWW

2

+1.5-178+108o8.5-115

Padres(59-56)

LWLWW

7

-1.5+174-111u8.5+117

Best BetAstros +101

Pregame

Houston's the more complete team right now, division lead and all, and Correa/Matthews being down hasn't stopped this roster from rolling. San Diego's answer has to come from a rotation that's missing three names off its depth chart, which makes betting against the Astros here a tougher sell than the standings alone suggest.

Houston's not fully healthy either. Carlos Correa is still working his way back from the ankle injury that's kept him out since he was cleared to swing a bat, and Brice Matthews remains sidelined with a knee issue the front office is now pointing toward mid-to-late August for a return. That's a shortstop and a center fielder the Astros have had to replace on the fly during a stretch where they climbed from 6.5 games back into first place.

Cristian Javier

(1-4)·6.44 ERA

Aug 3 vs Blue Jays

L

6.0IP

3ER

2K

0BB

85P

08/09 Lineup

Randy Vásquez

(9-6)·4.19 ERA

Aug 4 @ Diamondbacks

W

6.0IP

0ER

1K

1BB

80P

08/09 Lineup

So this is a pennant-race matchup dressed up as a mid-August series — one team trying to hold a division lead it fought hard to get, the other trying to keep pace in a wild-card scrum that's been a game or two apart for weeks.

Houston Astros

(59-57)

Aug 5Lvs Blue Jays4-5

Aug 5Wvs Blue Jays7-2

Aug 4Lvs Blue Jays1-3

Aug 2Wvs Rangers7-3

Aug 1Wvs Rangers5-4

San Diego Padres

(59-56)

Aug 6L@ Diamondbacks4-10

Aug 5W@ Diamondbacks9-4

Aug 4L@ Diamondbacks1-5

Aug 2Wvs Giants5-4

Aug 2Wvs Giants6-5

San Diego's offense has had real thunder in it lately — Manny Machado has been driving in runs in bunches and Fernando Tatis Jr. has looked like himself again — but the results have been streaky. A blowout loss to Arizona is sitting right there in the Padres' last five games, a reminder of how quickly things can get away from a pitching staff running on fumes.

Houston Astros

(4)

• 10-Day-ILBrice Matthews (CF) — General manager Dana Brown said Sunday that the Astros are targeting "mid-August, potentially the third week of August" for Matthews' (knee) return from the 10-day injured list, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.08/05
• 15-Day-ILMike Burrows (SP) — Burrows (elbow) threw a 35-pitch live batting practice session Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.07/31
• 60-Day-ILCarlos Correa (SS) — Correa (ankle) was cleared to swing a bat Tuesday and is hopeful to return from the 60-day injured list before the end of the season, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.08/04
• 60-Day-ILBrandon Walter (SP) — The Astros announced Friday that Walter (elbow) is in the midst of a throwing progression at the team's complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.06/04

San Diego Padres

(9)

• 10-Day-ILSamad Taylor (LF) — Taylor (oblique) has been taking light swings and rehabbing at the Padres' spring complex in Arizona, MLB.com reports.08/04
• 10-Day-ILMiguel Andujar (DH) — The Padres placed Andujar on the 10-day injured list Monday with a fractured right wrist.07/20
• 15-Day-ILDavid Morgan (RP) — Morgan (knee) made a rehab appearance Sunday at Triple-A El Paso, allowing one hit and no walks over an inning of relief.08/03
• 15-Day-ILLucas Giolito (SP) — Giolito (elbow) has been throwing at San Diego's team complex in Arizona and may be close to facing hitters, MLB.com reports.07/22
• 60-Day-ILNick Pivetta (SP) — Pivetta (forearm) exited Tuesday's rehab start with Single-A Lake Elsinore due to elbow tightness, but he threw in the bullpen after leaving the outing and felt fine, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.08/04
• 60-Day-ILJason Adam (RP) — The Padres transferred Adam (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Monday.08/03
• 60-Day-ILJoe Musgrove (SP) — Musgrove (elbow) is slated to make a rehab appearance for Single-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday.08/03
• 60-Day-ILRamon Laureano (LF) — Laureano underwent surgery Friday to repair his torn right labrum, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.06/05
• 60-Day-ILBryan Hoeing (RP) — The Padres transferred Hoeing (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08

Houston, meanwhile, has been the more stable club, which is exactly what a first-place team needs during a stretch where two everyday regulars are still watching from the bench. If the Astros can just avoid a letdown spot in a lower-stakes weekend series, they're built to grind out this one behind a lineup that's carried them through the injuries so far.