Astros, the AL West leaders, arrive to kick off their last homestand in town – San Diego Union-Tribune | Sports

In the standings

Houston Astros (81-68, 1st in AL West)

The Astros have received 4 in a row after a sweep in Anaheim and are 31-22 since the All-Star break to construct a 4½-sport lead on the Mariners in the division. Houston ranks seventh in run differential (plus-94), third in batting common (.262), second in opponent common (.228) and fourth in bullpen ERA (3.49). The Astros took two of three last yr in opposition to the Padres.

San Diego Padres (85-65, third in NL West)

A weekend sweep in San Francisco has buoyed the Padres’ postseason hopes. They enter the ultimate two weeks as the NL’s high wild-card spot, 1½ video games up on Arizona and in some way inside 3½ video games of the Dodgers in the NL West. More importantly, they've a 3½-sport cushion on the Mets and Braves to make the playoffs.

What have they carried out these days?

• Houston: The Astros are hitting .284/.340/.428 over their last six video games. Both Yordan Alvarez (.790 OPS) and OF Jason Heyward (1.500 OPS) have two homers over that stretch and Alvarez, Heyward and OF Mauricio Dubon (.718 OPS) all have 4 RBIs. OF Kyle Tucker has one homer, three RBIs and a .250/.367/.417 in eight video games since coming back from a shin fracture. RHP Bryan Abreu has struck out seven whereas throwing 3⅔ good innings out of the bullpen over the last week.
• San Diego: RHP Robert Suarez has blown saves in two of his last three probabilities. OF Fernando Tatis Jr. has 4 homers in his last 5 video games (1.429 OPS), driving in eight runs over that stretch. INF Luis Arraez is carrying a 13-sport hitting streak into the Houston collection and 5 Padres all have an OPS over .750 over the last week: Tatis, Arraez (1.085), INF Donovan Solano (.918), OF Jurickson Profar (.899) and 3B Manny Machado (.761).

Clubhouse leaders

• OPS: Astros – DH Yordan Alvarez (.961), 2B Jose Altuve (.801), C Yainer Diaz (.776); Padres – OF Jurickson Profar (.837), OF Fernando Tatis Jr. (.835), OF Jackson Merrill (.816).
• Homers: Astros – Alvarez (34), 3B Alex Bregman (23), OF Kyle Tucker (20); Padres – 3B Manny Machado (26), Merrill (23), Profar (22).
• RBIs: Astros – Alvarez (84), Diaz (71), SS Jeremy Pena (69); Padres – Machado (98), Merrill (85), Profar (82).
• Steals: Astros – Altuve (21), Pena (17), Tucker (10), OF Jake Meyers (10); Padres – SS Ha-Seong Kim (22), Merrill (16), 2B Xander Bogaerts (11).
• Saves: Astros – LHP Josh Hader (31-for-33, 3.32 ERA), RHP Ryan Pressly (4-for-12, 3.54 ERA); Padres – RHP Robert Suarez (32-for-37, 2.59 ERA), LHP Tanner Scott (20-for-22, 1.50 ERA).
• Holds: Astros – RHP Bryan Abreu (36, 3.22 ERA), Pressly (21), RHP Rafael Montero (10, 4.70 ERA); Padres – RHP Jason Adam (26, 1.85 ERA), RHP Jeremiah Estrada (13, 3.02 ERA), LHP Wandy Peralta (11, 4.17 ERA).

Pitching matchups

Monday

• Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-12, 4.72 ERA)   |   The 24-yr-previous rookie has struck out 158 in 131⅔ innings in this primary yr in the majors. He has a 2.14 ERA over his last 4 begins, regardless of permitting 9 runs — three earned — in two-thirds of an inning on Sept. 4 at Cincinnati. Arrighetti has a 5.22 ERA in 14 street begins this yr.
• Padres RHP Yu Darvish (5-3, 3.52 ERA)   |   He’s making his third begin since coming back from the restricted/injured lists, throwing 63 pitches in his earlier two video games (5.87 ERA). Darvish has a 3.64 ERA in 15 profession begins in opposition to the Astros, the last in 2021 (5 IP, 4 ER) in a no-choice.

Tuesday

• Astros RHP Hunter Brown (11-8, 3.59 ERA)   |   The third-yr starter’s ERA is down considerably from last yr’s 5.09 mark and he’s shaved his house run price from 1.5 per 9 innings last yr to 1.0 this yr. Brown can be at a profession-excessive 158 innings and counting. The Padres knocked Brown round for six runs in 4⅔ innings last yr, which included a house run from Xander Bogaerts.
• Padres RHP Michael King (12-9, 3.06 ERA)   |   At a profession-excessive 161⅔ innings and counting, King has lowered his ERA from 3.41 in the first half to 2.31 in 9 begins since the All-Star break. Among his begins with the Yankees last yr was beating the Astros with 5 innings of 1-run ball last September. King has a 2.61 ERA in 10⅓ profession innings in opposition to the Astros.

Wednesday

• Astros LHP Framber Valdez (14-6, 2.91 ERA)   |   He has a 3.56 ERA in 12 street begins this yr, however a 1.33 ERA in seven begins since the begin of August. Valdez’s solely begins in opposition to the Padres have been a pair of begins in 2021 (10 IP, 5 ER).
• Padres RHP Dylan Cease (13-11, 3.58 ERA)   |   He broke out of a six-begin droop (5.01 ERA) with 10 strikeouts over six shutout innings in beating the Giants over the weekend, his first win since Aug. 17. Cease has a 4.18 ERA in six profession begins in opposition to the Astros, however he restricted them to one run over 12⅓ innings over a pair of begins last yr in which he struck out 15 in opposition to two walks.

Training room

• Houston: OF Ben Gamel is day-to-day with a knee bruise and 1B Jon Singleton was scratched from Sunday’s lineup with an sickness. OF Chas McCormick (hand fracture) is aiming to return earlier than the finish of the common season. The Astros have quite a lot of pitchers who is not going to pitch once more this season, headlined by RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm surgical procedure).
• San Diego: SS Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder) stays and not using a timetable as he has but to throw throughout the diamond at one hundred pc.