by Greg Dempson
Pinnacle Odds: Seattle Mariners +114 vs Houston Astros -123 Total 8
Minute Maid Park is the venue where two Wild Card hopefuls will meet this evening with the first pitched scheduled for 8:10 ET.
Hisashi Iwakuma is 5–6 with an ERA of 3.87 in 13 starts vs. Houston. Iwakuma lost his first two starts this season vs. the Astros before tossing 7 shutout innings on July 16 which resulted in a 1–0 win to improve to 1–2 in 2016 with an ERA of 4.24. Iwakuma is 16–12 this season with an ERA of 4.04, WHIP of 1.310.
Colin McHugh/Team is 10–04 in his 14 home starts this season and his ERA is 3.76, WHIP of 1.353 averaging 5.8 innings per start while allowing only 34 earned runs, (11 homers,) through 81.3 innings while walking only 21 vs. 85 strikeouts. In his most recent 3 starts McHugh has pitched for 17.7 combined innings pitched while allowing only 3 earned runs on 10 hits, (no homers,) while walking 7 vs. 17 strikeouts.
He has gone 3–0 in his last 3 for the full game and through the 1st 5 innings in those 3 starts he won at home vs. the Cubs, (2–1,) on September 10th, at Seattle on the 9th, (6–0,) through the 1st 5 as well as the full game and then on the 21st of this month McHugh was tied, (1–1,) after the 1ST 5 at Oakland and eventually won the full game, (6–5.)
In Review
· My Every Edge MLB record is 30–22–03 while laying very limited juice, (only one game at –125,) while investing on numerous money line underdogs.
From the Pitcher’s Mound
· McHugh is 21–07 at home and +11.90-units vs. the money line when the total is 7 to 8.5 during the last two seasons.
· Last Tuesday, in Toronto, Iwakuma allowed a season high 6 runs, (5 or which were earned,) including 8 hits, (2 homers) in 3.3 innings resulting in a 10–02 loss. He’s 2–5 with an ERA of 4.81 in his last 7 outings.
· McHugh is 12–01 and +11.50-units vs. the money line this season when playing against division opponents.
· Regardless of their starter, the Mariners are only 2–8 in their last 10 vs. the Astros.
· Collin McHugh is 5–0 in his last 7 starts, (all Astros wins,) as well as 4–0 vs. the Mariners this season with an ERA of 1.08.
Error Free MLB
· Seattle is -22.30-units vs. the money line when playing against good fielding teams that average 0.6 or less errors per game.
· When playing in the second half of the season, and facing teams that allow an average of 0.6 or less errors per game, the Mariners are -76.90-units against the money line in road games since 1997.
Mariners at Astros Pick
My Every Edge selection for this evening is to take the Houston Astros at –123 in the first 5 innings.
For additional wining systems, angles and Tweets, visit www.gregdempson.com.