Astros vs. Guardians: Picks, predictions, how to watch Friday’s game

The Houston Astros and Cleveland Guardians square off on Friday with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET. The game takes place at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH, and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Framber Valdez (9-4, 2.80 ERA) will step on the mound for the Astros while Hunter Gaddis will make his major league debut as the starter for the Guardians.

Houston (69-38) took the first game of this four-game set with a 6-0 shutout victory last night. A bulk of the Astros’ offensive production came from Chas McCormick, who went 3-5 with a homer and three RBI. Martin Maldonado also provided a solo shot in the top of the seventh to extend their lead. Meanwhile, Justin Verlander had a solid outing on the mound, going six innings and giving up just two hits in the process.

Cleveland (54-51) managed just three last night as they had no answers for the ‘Stros. The only positive development was Steven Kwan extending his league-best hit streak to 18 games, clocking a single in the bottom of the eighth.

Astros vs. Guardians

Pitchers: Framber Valdez vs. Hunter Gaddis
First pitch: 7:10 p.m. ET
Astros local broadcast: AT&T SportsNet Southwest
Guardians local broadcast: Bally Sports Great Lakes
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)

Odds, picks & predictions

Run Line: Astros -1.5 (-125), Guardians +1.5 (+105)
Run total: O 8.5 (-115), U 8.5 (-105)
Moneyline odds: Astros -205, Guardians +175

Moneyline pick: Astros -205

Houston another pitching advantage tonight with an All-Star like Valdez taking the hill against a debuting rookie fresh up from Triple-A. We’ll go with the Astros on the moneyline tonight.

Player prop pick: Steven Kwan over 1.5 hits (+175)

The rookie has been a key part of the Guardians creeping to within a game of the AL Central lead as of late with his hit streak. Even against a tough starting pitcher like Valdez, we’ll predict that he’ll get at least two base knocks this evening.

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