Kirby Will Once Again Stifle Astros Hitters

Astros vs. Mariners, 9:40 ET

I've talked about the baseball postseason essentially since the beginning of the year. Afterall, what is the point of playing baseball if you're not focused on the ultimate goal of winning a World Series. In order to get to that series, you have to make the playoffs. Now that we are at the "second-half" of the season, we can examine it even more closely. Keep in mind, most teams have somewhere around 60 games remaining for the season, so there isn't much time to make a move if they want to. This is a crucial series for both teams as the Astros take on the Mariners. 

The Astros looked like they were dead ducks for the majority of the first months. The club was just 7-19 on April 25th and didn't even reach .500 until two months later on June 26th. Since June 19th, the team went on a very nice stretch and went 17-6, once again looking like the dominant franchise that has been a mainstay in the postseason for years. The Astros entered the post All-Star Break just one game behind the Mariners for the division, and they are only a few more games back in the Wild Card race. I highly doubt winning 17 of 23 games is going to be consistent for them (that would put them on pace for about 119 wins over a full season). The offense of the team has been consistent all season, they just needed the pitching to improve and it seems like they will either trade or get their pitchers back to help bolster that side of the club. One of their more reliable starters for years has been Framber Valdez. He has been good enough this season, but they could use fewer anomaly games from him. This season he has allowed five or more runs (not earned) in four of his 16 outings this season. He has faced the Mariners twice this season already and has allowed eight earned runs over 11.1 innings. The Mariners have hit him well with a .290 average over 180 at-bats. 

Houston Astros LHP Framber Valdez pitches against the New York Mets at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens. (John Jones-USA TODAY Sports)

If we are being very honest about the Mariners, they are extremely lucky that they are even still in the postseason discussion. They should be giving their pitching staff essentially anything it wants for keeping them afloat. The Mariners, as a team, are hitting .219 for the season. Read that again, it is not a typo. They are hitting .219 as a team! That is the worst batting average in baseball - worse than the White Sox who are likely to be the worst team in the league this year. It isn't just that they aren't hitting well and it is bad luck, they are the only team with more than 1,000 strikeouts. So, yes, this team is built on a pitching staff that has been dominant. Their hitting has been atrocious. For the year, the team has a 3.46 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP. Those numbers are both amazing, as is the .218 average they hold opponents to. Tonight they put George Kirby on the hill. Kirby has a 7-7 record with a 3.29 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. He also is top-20 in strikeouts this season. At home, the Mariners have played their best baseball and Kirby has been very sharp with a 2.63 ERA. He has faced Houston twice this season and put out two almost identical games. He went six innings in both and allowed just one earned run in both, walking none in either game. 

The Mariners need to win games like this in order to keep the Astros away from the division crown. Valdez is a good pitcher, but Kirby is better and has to be better than him in this contest. I personally like Valdez and he has made me quite a bit of money over the years, but the way the Mariners play at home, and the way Kirby pitches there, I think you have to take the Mariners at least through the first five innings of this one. 

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