Can Cristian Javier make it two in a row—for himself, and for the team?
Coming into this series, both teams, the Astros and Mariners, were living a nightmare. The Astros were swept by the last-place Royals. But the Mariners were swept by the first-place Rangers. That may not sound as bad, but if you are the Mariners, it was a wasted opportunity to go from first place AL West to outside looking in for any playoff berth.
Both teams understood going into this series that whoever won this series was probably getting into the playoffs, and the other team wasn’t. So, who would pull out of the tailspin?
With last night’s win, it appears the Astros are the team gaining altitude. But with a loss tonight, it would be all back to square one.
The Astros’ best pitcher beat the Mariners’ best last night. But tonight, it’s Cristian Javier on the mound for the Stros. He’s been horrible lately—except for the shutout six innings he threw in his last game.
If Cristian Javier is back, then not only do the Astros have a good chance for a playoff berth but even a chance for success in the playoffs, which seems unlikely given the present starting pitching woes.
So Javier goes for two straight—one for the team, and the other for himself.
Here’s the Astros’ lineup.
Altuve ……………2B
Bregman………..3B
Alvarez…………..LF
Tucker……………RF
Abreu…………….1B
Diaz………………DH
McCormick…….CF
Pena………………SS
Maldonado……..C