The final game of a three-game AL West divisional series between the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics will take place in Oakland, California, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
The first pitch of Game 3 is scheduled for 3:37 pm ET on Wednesday afternoon and will air on the MLB Network, NBC Sports California, and Space City Home Network.
The Houston Astros are tied with the Seattle Mariners for 1st place in the AL West with a record of 52-49. However, the Astros are on a three-game losing streak and have lost five of their previous three matchups following a 2-8 loss in Game 2 of the series on the road against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night and have been outscored in the series against the Athletics 2-12.
Both runs for Houston in Game 2 of the series came via home runs, with the first coming in the 3rd inning off the bat of Victor Caratini while the 2nd went in the top of the 9th inning off Jeremy Pena. Jake Bloss only lasted four innings on the mound against the Athletics, as he allowed five runs while striking out five batters against the Athletics in the loss. Following the loss in Game 2, the Astros have lost three of the previous four meetings against the Athletics and have lost by an average margin of 2.25 runs per game in those contests.
The Houston Astros will look to avoid the series sweep and end their three-game losing streak when they travel to face the Oakland Athletics for Game 3.
Despite having the 2nd worst record in the American League and being 21 games under .500, the Oakland Athletics have been one of the hottest teams in baseball, as they have won six of their last eight games while winning by an average margin of 4.5 runs per game in those contests and have won three straight series following Tuesday's 8-2 win in Game 2 of the series at home against the Houston Astros.
The Athletics scored the first two runs of the game against the Astros on Tuesday night in the 1st inning after Brent Rooker hit a two-run home run that also scored Lawrence Butler. Oakland would hit five home runs in the game against Houston on Tuesday night, with five different players hitting home runs. Osvaldo Bido also had a great start against Houston, pitching five innings, allowing one run, and recording six strikeouts to get his 2nd win of the season.
Despite being on a two-game winning streak in the series following the win in Game 2 on Tuesday night, Oakland has struggled against Houston this season, compiling a record of 3-6 in the nine games and has lost by an average margin of 1.33 runs per game in those matchups. The Oakland Athletics will look to complete the series sweep when they host the Houston Astros for Game 3 of the series on Wednesday afternoon.
JustBet has the Houston Astros listed as -155 moneyline favorites on the road against the Oakland Athletics for Game 3 of the series on Wednesday afternoon. Houston has won seven of the last ten by an average margin of 1.2 runs per game, while the Athletics have won two of the previous three games in the series by an average margin of 2.33 runs per game.
Oakland has the 2nd worst record in the American League, while Houston is tied with the Mariners for 1st place in the division. Hunter Brown's last three starts against the Athletics have resulted in two wins and a no-decision, while JP Sears is also 2-0 with a no-decision. Both pitchers scored limited runs in the series in their last three starts, with Brown allowing an average of 1.33 runs per game while Sears allowed an average of 1 run per game. The under has hit in three of the last four games in the series, so I am taking the under 8.5 runs for Game 3 on Wednesday.
