Yankees’ Momentum Faces Ultimate Test as Astros’ Secret Weapon Emerges

You ever find yourself stepping away from the baseball chaos, only to realize how much the game—and the grind of betting—pulls at your soul? That’s been me lately, taking a breather, watching, soaking it all in… and now, just as the heat is cranked up for the playoff push, the Yankees and Astros are about to throw down—8:10 ET, mark it. Two powerhouse teams, both flirting with destiny, collide at a time when every pitch, every at-bat feels like a playoff series in waiting. The Yankees, who teetered between disaster and redemption, are banking on Max Fried’s arm to steady the ship, while the Astros, perennial perch holders in the standings, rely on the steady hand of Framber Valdez to keep the Mariners and Rangers at bay. So here’s the kicker—can Fried and Valdez keep the runs in check, or is this going to be a run-fest that sets the tone for October? If there’s ever a game begging for your full attention, this one’s it. Life, after all, is too short to miss out on moments like these. LEARN MORE.

Yankees vs. Astros, 8:10 ET

I took a nice break from baseball, and I have to say, I am pretty pleased with myself. Not only did I not write about baseball for a few days, I didn’t even bet on it. I needed to take a step back and just observe a few games again before jumping in once again. I wasn’t trying to run scared or anything like that, but baseball is a grind, and betting on it can be too. I’m geared up and ready for this stretch run as we get ready to see who actually makes the playoffs. Two teams that should be in the postseason face off today, and they could have a postseason series soon as the Yankees take on the Astros.

The Yankees were one of the teams that looked as if there was no shot they could be eliminated from the playoffs. Then they looked like they would have a disaster of a season and miss the postseason. Thanks to seven games against the Nationals and the White Sox, the team once again looks like they should be fine as they took down six of the seven games and had seven straight overall before losing in Sunday’s finale against Chicago. They were essentially playing .500 ball in the second half before this hot stretch, but their schedule ahead looks rough. They face the Astros, Blue Jays, Tigers, and Red Sox for their next 12 games. The good news for them is they close with six against the Orioles and three against the White Sox and Twins each. Expect somewhere around .500 for the next 24 games as well. Today they send out this season’s Ace, Max Fried. Fried has been a welcome addition to the team, and one much needed after Gerrit Cole went down for the year in the preseason. Although his numbers are no longer going to get him Cy Young consideration, he is still 14-5 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. Post All-Star Break was rough on him, seeing him allow at least four runs in five straight games. He has corrected since, allowing just one earned run in his past 13 innings. He did face Houston a few games ago and allowed four earned runs on eight hits over five innings. Astros hitters tend to do well against Fried, hitting almost .300 against him. 

The Astros currently hold a three-game lead over the Mariners who are chasing them down. They also are only 4.5 games ahead of Texas, so in other words, they can’t just relax or coast to the playoffs. Each year it seems like this will be the year that the Astros finally take a step back. They lost Alex Bregman in the offseason and traded away Kyle Tucker. Two of their staples from the past few years leave, and the team remains in first place. Sure, they added some good pieces before the year and even at the trade deadline, it just seems crazy to me how this works out. Pitching is probably their biggest concern overall, but they should be happy to see Mr. Consistent on the hill for them today as Framber Valdez takes the mound. Valdez is 12-7 with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. The guy basically is a walking quality start, but he has missed two in his past five games. He has been phenomenal at home this year as well, tossing a 1.70 ERA when pitching in Houston. One of those starts that he didn’t qualify for quality was against the Yankees as he allowed four earned runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings. Yankees hitters have shown good work against Valdez, also hitting .300 against him. 

This is one of the games that should hit the over, but how comfortable are you playing a game where Fried and Valdez start to take the over? Both are likely to give up some runs, but it could be one or two. I lean toward the over, but I think the better play here is to take Valdez and the Astros. He is so good at home and very reliable. Fried has gotten back into good form, but I think the Astros have the edge here. Back them on the moneyline for the full game.

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