Astros vs. Mariners Prediction and Pick for ALDS Game 3 (Pitch to Yordan Alvarez at Your Own Risk)
By Josh Yourish
The Seattle Mariners have made their way back to the playoffs for the first time since 2001 and they will get a home game down 2-0 in the ALDS to the Houston Astros. It will take a near miracle run if the Mariners would like to advance because Houston looks like a juggernaut right now.
Houston will lean on the postseason experience of Lance McCullers Jr. (4-2, 2.27 ERA) against the rookie, George Kirby (8-5, 3.39 ERA) in Game 3.
Astros vs. Mariners Odds, Run Line and Total
Astros vs. Mariners Prediction and Pick
The Seattle Mariners are certainly the feel-good story of the MLB postseason and the Astros are the ultimate bad guy and have been for a few years now. They’re the cheaters who just keep winning and building an even scarier team each year. It would just be the most perfect, villain storyline to take out the Mariners in their first home playoff game and never even give the Seattle fans a moment to celebrate during a home game.
Lance McCullers Jr. is exactly the guy that Houston would want on the mound to close the game out. Everyone remembers him closing out the 2017 World Series and while it has been a bit tumultuous for him since then, he has battled injuries and worked to a 2.27 ERA this year and a 2.83 postseason ERA for his career. The Astros have an embarrassment of riches in the starting rotation and it is such a luxury to turn to McCullers in this spot when Seattle has to give the ball to a rookie.
George Kirby will have a good career, but this moment is going to be too big for him. He has to navigate pitching to Yordan Alvarez or else it will end up in the outfield seats and that means Alex Bregman hitting with a man on constantly. This lineup is too deep and the pitching staff is even deeper. Houston is the death star right now and sadly for Seattle, Julio Rodriguez isn’t quite Luke Skywalker.
Pick: Astros -105
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