Astros vs Mariners Odds, Predictions, and Probable Pitchers (July 26)
- The Houston Astros are road favorites over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night
- It a matchup of rookies, the Astros’ Luis Garcia (7-5, 2.86) will face Darren McCaughen (0-0, 1.80)
- The odds and pitching matchups can be found below with a prediction
The Seattle Mariners will look to cut into the Astros’ lead in the American League West when they host Houston at 10:10 p.m. ET Monday in the opener of a three-game series at T-Mobile Park.
The Astros (61-39) hold a 5.5-game lead over the Oakland Athletics in the division standings while the Mariners (54-46) are seven games behind in third place.
The Astros swept a three-game weekend series from the Texas Rangers at home, have won five of their last six games and are big favorites in this one. The Mariners won the last three games of a four-game weekend series against the visiting Athletics and are 9-4 in their last 13.
Houston opened on the moneyline at -150 and the odds have shortened for them significantly.
Astros vs Mariners Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Runline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | -180 | -1.5 (-120) | Over 8.5 (-115) |
| Seattle Mariners | +155 | +1.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-105) |
Odds as of July 26th at DraftKings.
Probable Pitchers
In a matchup of rookies, the Astros’ Luis Garcia (7-5, 2.86) faces Darren McCaughen (0-0, 1.80).
Garcia is coming off perhaps the best performance on his nascent career in beating Cleveland last Tuesday in Houston. He pitched three-hit ball over six shutout innings with eight strikeouts and no walks.
Garcia vs McCaughan
| 7-5 | Record | 0-0 |
| 2.86 | ERA | 1.80 |
| 3.42 | xERA | 3.10 |
| 1.06 | WHIP | 0.60 |
| 3.62 | SO/W | 0.00 |
That was Garcia’s sixth quality start in 16 outings this season. He has allowed only one run in 11 innings over his last two starts while going 1-0. Garcia is 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA in his last five rotation turns.
Garcia is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA in seven road starts this season. In 14 games (13 starts) at night, he has a 5-3 record and 2.93 ERA.
The @astros' Luis Garcia has been a force in 2021.@AlLeiter22 | #MLBCentral pic.twitter.com/RJvMMFK4TC
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 24, 2021
Garcia lost his lone career start against the Mariners on April 29 in Seattle despite yielding only one run in five innings.
McCaughen had a fine MLB debut last Wednesday when he pitched five hitless innings in relief against the Colorado Rockies in Denver after following an opener. McCaughen did allow a run while walking three and not recording a strikeout.
The 25-year-old made 10 starts with Triple-A Tacoma and one with Double-A Arkansas this season, going 5-4 with a 3.90 ERA.
The @ARTravs clubhouse watching Darren McCaughen make his MLB debut for the @Mariners. pic.twitter.com/goxqfrVwLa
— Steven Davis (@StevenDavispxp) July 21, 2021
McCaughen was the Mariners’ 12th-round draft pick in 2017 from Long Beach State. In four minor league seasons, he has compiled a 19-27 record with a 3.75 ERA in 73 games (64 starts).
Alvarez Hot in July
Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez is having a strong July with five home runs and 13 RBIs in 16 games. He is also 4 for 7 against the Mariners this season with two doubles.
The Mariners have held the Astros catching duo of Jason Castro (1 for 11, five strikeouts) and Martin Maldonado (0-for-9, 2 strikeouts) in check so far in 2021.
Batting Average vs Starting Pitchers
| Mariners Batters | Batting Average vs Luis Garcia |
|---|---|
| Ty France | .500 |
| Kyle Seager | .500 |
| J.P. Crawford | .000 |
| Dylan Moore | .000 |
| Tom Murphy | .000 |
NOTE: No Astros batters have faced McCaughen
Mariners first baseman Ty France has gone 8 for 25 (.320) with two doubles against Astros pitching this season. However, catcher Tom Murphy and second baseman Dylan Moore are both hitless in 13 at-bats with Moore striking out seven times.
TY FRANCE CRUSHED 🤯 pic.twitter.com/0TBrTbpa10
— ROOT SPORTS™ | NW (@ROOTSPORTS_NW) July 18, 2021
In his last nine games overall, France is 14 for 35 (.400) with six runs, two doubles, a home run, seven RBIs and three hit by pitches. Designated hitter/catcher Luis Torrens is on a seven-game hitting streak in which he is 8 for 22 (.364) with four runs, three homers and four RBIs.
Astros vs Mariners Pick
The Astros have won four of seven games against the Mariners this season, including two of three in Seattle. However, the Mariners are making a much better showing against Houston than in 2019 and 2020 when they were a combined 4-25.
While it’s hard to top McCaughen’s debut, it is alarming that he had no strikeouts. That makes one question if his stuff can play against an Astros’ lineup that leads MLB in runs scored.
- The Pick: Astros -180
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
