Houston Astros vs Cleveland Guardians Prediction, 8/5/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Cleveland Guardians

Date: Friday, August 5, 2022

Location: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH

TV: Bally Sports Great Lakes

The Cleveland Guardians (54-50) are welcoming the Houston Astros (68-38) at Progressive Field on Friday. The expected starting pitchers are Framber Valdez and Kirk McCarty.

The Astros have accrued 184 two-baggers as a team and have hit 147 balls out of the park. Houston is slugging .423 and have struck out 791 times, while drawing a walk on 364 occasions. As a squad, the Houston Astros are earning 4.4 runs per contest, which has them at 15th in baseball. They have accrued 455 RBI's in addition to 848 hits for the year, while their team batting average comes in at .241. They are sitting with 470 runs while holding a team OBP of .317.

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The Astros hold a team ERA of 3.01 on the campaign (2nd in baseball), and the staff has struck out 950 batters. They have a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.18 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.09. Astros pitchers have relinquished 93 home runs and also 352 runs in total (2nd in the league). They have walked 299 players from the other team and their FIP sits at 3.49 as a squad for the season.

The Astros relievers have a save percentage of 73.8% and stepped onto the hill in 106 save situations. The relievers have inherited 101 base runners on the campaign and 27.7% of them crossed the plate. Astros bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 68 times and also have had 102 appearances in high leverage situations. The Astros have sent 308 relief pitchers to the mound this season. The bullpen have racked up 64 holds for the year (7th in the league). They have compiled 31 saves on the campaign and have not converted 11 of 42 save opportunities.

The Houston Astros are sitting with 2,819 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 807 assists and 51 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding at .986 which is 11th in pro baseball, and they have turned 76 double plays. The Astros have converted 72.7% of baseballs in play into outs in their 8,457 innings, which has them ranked 1st in the majors.

Valdez has taken the mound for 441 innings and is sitting with 420 strikeouts in his MLB career. Valdez (33-21 win-loss mark in his career) has a FIP of 3.79 while going up against 1,868 opposing hitters in the major leagues. His earned run average is 3.46 (170 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.259. He has surrendered 369 base knocks (7.5 hits per 9 innings) and has had 187 walks.

Cleveland has 84 home runs this season as well as 438 runs batted in. They have recorded 194 doubles, while walking 299 times as well as racking up 460 runs. The Cleveland Guardians are sitting with an on-base percentage of .315 in addition to a team batting average of .252 on the year. The Guardians have a team slugging % of .388 and they average 4.42 runs per game (16th in baseball). They have struck out on 732 instances (30th in MLB) and have a total of 894 base hits.

The Guardians are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.232 in addition to having a FIP of 3.99 as a squad for the year. Their K/BB ratio is 2.88 (855 strikeouts against 297 bases on balls). They come in at 14th in baseball as a staff in total hits surrendered with 837. They have surrendered 115 dingers and they concede 4.34 runs per 9 innings (16th in the league). The Cleveland pitching staff have surrendered 444 runs so far this season while having an ERA of 3.89 (398 earned runs allowed).

Cleveland has called on relievers to enter the contest in 38 save opportunities and they have earned 26 saves. They rank 11th in baseball with a save rate of 68.4%, and they have sent 319 bullpen pitchers to the hill on the season. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 102 times in high leverage situations in addition to 84 occasions with runners on base. Cleveland relief pitchers have an inherited score percentage of 30.3% out of 119 inherited runners. Sitting with 70 save situations, the Guardians have earned 29 holds and also 12 blown saves.

In 8,283 innings played, the Guardians have earned a efficiency on defense of 70.0% (12th in MLB). The Cleveland Guardians have gotten 82 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .983 (21st in professional baseball). The Guardians have racked up 942 assists, 63 errors and have accumulated 2,761 putouts so far this season.

So far in his MLB career, McCarty has allowed 23 hits while he has tallied 14 strikeouts in 19 frames. McCarty (2-2 career win-loss record) holds a 6.05 ERA and has given up 10.7 hits per nine innings. He has conceded 13 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.655 and having a FIP of 7.1. His strikeout to walk ratio is 1.56 and he has gone up against 86 batters so far in his pro baseball career.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston

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