Astros Trio Look to Continue Successful Season

The second half of the Major League Baseball regular season begins on Friday with a full schedule of games including the Minnesota Twins visiting the Houston Astros. The current line on top sportsbooks has Houston favored at -175, Minnesota at +155 and the over/under run total on 9.

Entering this game, Minnesota on the season is 45-43 overall and 25-15 on the road. The Twins are 5-5 in their last 10 games played. Houston on the season is 60-29 overall and 27-18 at home. The Astros are 7-3 in their last 10 games played.

Houston is enjoying one of the best seasons ever in the American League as it became the just the fourth AL team in history to win 60 games before the All-Star break. The Astros currently have a lead of 16 ½ games in the AL West over second place Los Angeles.

Jose Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa are all members of Houston that started the All-Star game and fuel the Astros offense that is No. 1 in baseball in runs scored with 527, in home runs with 148 and team batting average of .289.

Prior to the All-Star break, Altuve had five straight games with three-hits in each game, which is the longest such streak since George Brett, now a Hall of Famer, had a run of six straight in 1976.

Minnesota is surprisingly in second in the AL Central just 2 ½ games behind first place Cleveland. Miguel Sano, an All-Star for the Twins leads the teams with 21 home runs and 62 RBIs.

Minnesota will send Jose Berrios to the mound on Friday. The Twins right-hander is 8-2 with an ERA of 3.52. Houston will counter with Charlie Morton. The Astros right-hander is 6-3 with an ERA of 3.82.

Berrios is 5-1 in his past six decisions but his last three starts have dropped in quality. Over that period his ERA has been 6.23 after it has been 2.67 during his first 8 starts. Berrios was a loser against Houston May 30 allowing five hits and four runs in five innings.

Morton missed over six weeks with a strained lat but returned July 7 and beat Toronto. This season he has 68 strikeouts in 64 innings of work.

Minnesota is 1-4 in its last 5 games on the road.

Houston is 6-2 in its last 8 games versus opponents from the AL Central.

Prediction: The Houston machine continues to chug along. Lean here toward the Astros to win.