Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
SEA	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	2	7	12	0
HOU	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	10	12	0

George Kirby gets the ball for Seattle looking to keep stacking quality starts after weathering trade rumors that lingered right up to deadline day. Peter Lambert draws the assignment for Houston as these two open a set at Daikin Park at 7:10 PM CT, with the Astros trying to build on a win and the Mariners trying to prove theirs wasn't a one-off.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Mariners(57-65)

WLLLL

7

+1.5-186+113o8.5+120

Astros(62-60)

WLWLL

10

-1.5+178-115u8.5-120

Best BetAstros -131

Pregame

Houston's the play here even accounting for the Altuve question mark — Lambert's been the sharper arm by ERA and the Astros just took two of three from a good Giants club. Seattle's lineup is the bigger worry: one run in a stretch that's mostly been losses isn't the profile of a team you back on the road against the better price.

The bigger story in Houston might be who's not in the lineup. Jose Altuve has been in and out with a sore left foot after getting hit by a pitch, and his absence would push a shakier bat into the middle infield against a Seattle rotation that, whatever its record says, has kept the ball out of the middle of the plate. It's the kind of subtraction that doesn't show up on the odds board until it's already cost a game.

George Kirby

(8-10)·4.18 ERA

Aug 8 vs Rays

ND

5.0IP

1ER

2K

2BB

99P

08/14 Lineup

Peter Lambert

(8-7)·3.68 ERA

Aug 8 @ Padres

L

5.0IP

2ER

3K

3BB

97P

08/14 Lineup

None of that has stopped the number from settling on Houston as the short favorite here, and there's a reasonable case for it — Lambert's been the steadier arm of the two by ERA, and the Astros have the deeper, more complete roster even with Correa still rehabbing and Altuve banged up.

Seattle Mariners

(57-65)

Aug 13W@ Yankees1-0

Aug 12L@ Yankees5-10

Aug 11L@ Yankees1-4

Aug 9Lvs Rays1-4

Aug 9Lvs Rays2-3

Houston Astros

(62-60)

Aug 12W@ Giants2-1

Aug 12L@ Giants1-4

Aug 11W@ Giants6-3

Aug 10L@ Padres2-7

Aug 8L@ Padres2-3

Seattle's version of progress is a single 1-0 win over the Yankees that finally snapped a five-game skid in which the offense barely scored. That's the tightrope the Mariners are walking: Kirby and the rotation have kept most of these games competitive, but the lineup has to actually show up behind him, and lately it hasn't. A one-run outburst is nice, but it's not a trend yet.

Seattle Mariners

(10)

• Day-To-DayTaylor Ward (LF) — Ward is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees.08/13
• Day-To-DayCole Young (2B) — Young (head) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees.08/13
• 10-Day-ILJ.P. Crawford (SS) — Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said July 31 that Crawford is expected to be "a couple weeks down" after requiring an injection to relieve inflammation in his left wrist, MLB.com reports.08/09
• 10-Day-ILLuke Raley (RF) — Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said Tuesday that Raley is expected to miss the rest of the season after sustaining a left forearm strain, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.08/05
• 15-Day-ILMatt Brash (RP) — Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Saturday that Brash (lat) is "looming" closer to throwing a bullpen session, MLB.com reports.08/09
• 15-Day-ILCole Wilcox (RP) — Wilcox left Thursday's game versus the Tigers due to left oblique tightness.08/07
• 60-Day-ILCooper Criswell (RP) — Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said July 31 that Criswell (shoulder) has resumed a throwing progression, MLB.com reports.08/09
• 60-Day-ILCarlos Vargas (RP) — Vargas (lat) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with High-A Everett on Saturday night, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.08/08
• 60-Day-ILWill Wilson (3B) — Wilson (thumb) has gone 3-for-9 with two RBI and a 1:2 BB:K in his first three rehab games between High-A Everett and Triple-A Tacoma.06/17
• 60-Day-ILLogan Evans (SP) — The Mariners placed Evans (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Monday.05/08

Houston Astros

(5)

• Day-To-DayJose Altuve (2B) — Altuve (foot) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's tilt in San Francisco.08/12
• 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) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.08/11
• 60-Day-ILCarlos Correa (SS) — Correa (ankle) has been cleared to hit off a tee, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.08/11
• 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

Seattle's bullpen picture makes the swing games scarier than the record suggests — Matt Brash, Cooper Criswell, Carlos Vargas and Cole Wilcox are all out, which is most of a relief corps gone at once. If this one's still tied in the seventh, Houston has the reinforcements to press the advantage; Seattle is scraping.