You know what’s great about baseball? You get to shake it off and play the next day.
The Astros fell back to .500 on Thursday in an extremely embarrassing 18-3 loss at the hands of the Angels. In fact, it was a series loss for Houston, as the team clings to the top spot in a very underwhelming AL West.
Can the Astros bounce back on Friday? Let’s dive into this divisional tilt and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Athletics vs. Astros prediction, preview
Both by record (49-79) and by run differential (-185), the Athletics are the worst team in the American League. Things aren’t looking like they’ll be getting any better any time soon, either. On Thursday, it was reported that Jacob Wilson, the 2025 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up, would likely miss the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury. He’s been added to an IL that includes 2025 AL Rookie of the Year winner Nick Kurtz (thumb), Shea Langeliers (knee), Tyler Soderstrom (hip) and Brent Rooker (knee). Woof. It’s sort of incredible that the remaining bats in the club’s lineup have managed a respectable 101 wRC+ across the past two weeks.
The pitching staff is also pretty sad, yet I will give a shoutout to J.T. Ginn, who will start tonight’s contest in Houston. The right-hander has already set a new career-high with 127.1 innings thrown in 2026, and it hasn’t been empty volume. Ginn owns a 3.53 ERA and a 3.97 xERA, and while he’s clearly benefitted from a unstable .256 opponent BABIP, the 27-year-old has been solid. He’s even survived pitching at Sutter Health Park, where he’s only surrendering 0.75 opponent home runs per nine. He deserves a medal for that alone.
For the Astros, Hayden Wesneski will take the mound for just the fifth time in 2026. The RHP hasn’t seen the best results since returning from injury, including giving up five earned runs to the Mariners in four innings this past weekend, but on the whole, Wesneski has done a decent job limiting opponent walks and barrels. That’s generally a recipe for success. I would wager that a .500 opponent BABIP with runners in scoring position will also normalize at some point soon — maybe in a matchup with a lineup as beat-up as the A’s is.
Athletics vs. Astros pick, best bet
Best Bet: Astros -1.5 (+117)
These are must-win games for the Astros, while the A’s are on the heels of a four-game sweep by the lowly Royals. The Athletics are essentially fielding a Triple-A lineup at this point, and I’d expect Houston to take advantage at home. Also, the A’s are just 58-70
