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The Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox square off on Wednesday with first pitch set for 8:10 p.m. EST. The game takes place at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. The ‘Stros will send Framber Valdez to the hill while the White Sox will hand the ball to Michael Kopech.
Houston came into this series with a 13-game lead in the AL West but they’ve seen it dwindle down to 11 thanks to two straight losses to the Sox. The team, which was once dominant early in the season, has trailed off a bit. They’re still playing solid baseball, having won 11 of their last 20 games, but it’s not as overwhelming as it was in the past. Valdez is one of the better hurlers in their rotation though and has given up just 15 earned runs in just about his last 50 innings pitched and comes into this game off two straight wins.
The Southsiders have a lot to play for heading toward the final stretch of the season, sitting just one game back in the AL Central. The group has won five straight games and 19 of their last 30 overall contests. Kopech has been solid, but not spectacular this season. He’s allowed 16 earned runs in his last 36.2 innings pitched and in his lone start against Houston this season he went just five innings and gave up four earned runs in a loss.
Astros vs. White Sox
Pitchers: Framber Valdez vs. Michael Kopech
First pitch: 8:10 p.m. EST
White Sox local broadcast: NBC Sports Chicago
Astros local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Odds, picks & predictions
Run Line: Astros -1.5
Run total: 8
Moneyline odds: Astros-145, White Sox +125
Moneyline pick: Astros -145
Even though the Astors haven’t been playing as well as they normally do, they’re still a very good team. Valdez on the bump gives them an edge over the Sox. Kopech has been struggling recently too and hasn’t had any success against Houston in 2022.
Player prop pick: Kyle Tucker over 0.5 home runs (+275)
Tucker has been seeing the ball recently, getting at least one hit in eight straight games. He’s had success against Kopech too, with a career average of .500 in six at-bats with two singles and a home run. Kopech has given up eight bombs in his last seven appearances and gave up two to Houston earlier this season.
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