Cincinnati Reds vs Houston Astros Picks and Predictions September 2nd 2024

Heading in Different Directions, Astros and Reds Begin Series

The Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds are set to open a three-game series on Monday night in Cincinnati, with both teams heading in distinctly different directions as the regular season winds down.

Astros Hitting Their Stride

The Astros (75-62) have been picking up speed as September starts, pushing towards the end of the season games with expanding certainty. After a four-game breadth of the Kansas City Royals, Houston gets itself a season-high 13 games more than .500 and flaunts the best record in the majors since April 27, going 68-43 over that range. The Astros covered off their compass with a 7-2 triumph on Sunday, filled by two grand slams from Yordan Alvarez.

“I said there was going to be a moment we would all click, and that’s what’s happening right now,” Alvarez said after the game.

Astros manager Joe Espada echoed the sentiment, praising his team’s focus and intensity during the series against the Royals.

“That’s a pretty good Royals team. They’ve been playing very well. We went to Kansas City (in April), and we were not playing our best, but that’s why you play 162. We are getting closer to our goal, and we’re playing with a different intensity and focus, and we demonstrated that this series.”

Reds Struggling with Injuries

On the other hand, the Cincinnati Reds (65-73) are grappling with an array of injuries to their pitching staff as they try to limp through the remainder of the season. Despite their struggles, the Reds managed to snap a three-game losing streak with a 4-3, 11-inning win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Jonathan India played a crucial role in the victory, going 3-for-4, scoring the tying run with a headfirst slide, and making a key defensive play by throwing out a runner at the plate in the 10th inning.

“I always say baseball is a game of failure,” India said. “We’ve got to learn how to deal with it. There are new experiences for us. We’ve got to get through it, but we got to finish strong. We have to win this this month and keep our heads held high.”

Recent History and Matchup

The Reds have had recent success against the Astros, notably sweeping a three-game series in Houston in 2023 and winning all three games in Cincinnati back in 2019. However, this season, the two teams are on divergent paths: Houston is battling for its seventh division title in eight years, while Cincinnati has lost five of seven on their current homestand and eight of their last 11 games overall.

The Astros enter this series with impressive pitching stats from August, posting a 2.51 team ERA and holding opponents to a .185 batting average, both of which were tops in the majors.

Pitching Matchup: Verlander vs. Aguiar

Houston will send veteran right-hander Justin Verlander (3-4, 4.16 ERA) to the hill on Monday. Verlander, 41, will make his thirteenth beginning of the time and his third since getting back from a drawn out nonappearance because of neck torment. In his two beginnings back, Verlander is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA, including an extreme trip last Tuesday in Philadelphia where he surrendered four sudden spikes in demand for seven hits more than five innings.

Verlander has confronted the Reds multiple times in his vocation, gathering a 1-1 record with a 3.15 ERA.

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The Reds will counter with newbie right-hander Julian Aguiar (1-0, 6.43 ERA), who will make his fourth beginning of the time. Aguiar battled in his keep going excursion on Thursday, giving up six runs, including three grand slams, and 10 hits north of four innings against the Oakland Athletics. Regardless of his unpleasant exhibition, the Reds figured out how to mobilize for a 10-9 win.

This will be Aguiar’s most memorable vocation start against the Astros, introducing another test for the youthful pitcher as he faces quite possibly of the most blazing group in baseball.

Series Outlook

As the Astros proceed with their push towards the postseason, they’ll hope to keep up with their new strength against a Reds group that has battled to track down consistency in the midst of various wounds. In the interim, the Reds will plan to upset Houston’s energy and work off their new win as they hope to complete the season on a high note. With Verlander on the hill and the Astros terminating on all chambers, the series opener vows to be a convincing matchup between two groups with immeasurably various viewpoints as the season slows down.