Scott Spreitzer
7-Unit Play: Take 969 Astros -135 over Mariners (4:10 p.m., Wed., August 22)
I'm backing the Astros on Wednesday afternoon with Morton over Gonzales. Houston is clinging to first place in the AL West after losing eight of its last 11 games, but the Mariners have major problems with their starting pitching due to another injury to James Paxton and Mike Leake's illness which kept him out of Tuesday's game. Marco Gonzalez has lost his last three starts while allowing 15 runs on 27 hits in only 17 innings for a 7.94 ERA in August. Gonzalez faced the Astros once this year and gave up three runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings. The Astros still are 43-20 on the road, which is much better than their home record and they have won 11 of the last 14 meetings at Seattle. Charlie Morton is 12-3 with a 2.85 ERA without much run support lately and he hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his last six starts. Morton has a 2.66 ERA on the road and he's 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts against the Mariners this season. I'm backing the Astros on Wednesday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.