Astros Announce Lineup Looking to End Skid Against Royals

Hunter Brown goes up against Michael Wacha in a battle of aces,

Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Houston Astros begin their crucial three-game set with the Kansas City Royals at Daikin Park. Hunter Brown gets the ball for the Astros.

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Pitching Matchup

Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hunter Brown squares off with Michael Wacha on the mound for Tuesday. Brown has a 5-3 record with a 3.52 ERA. Brown wasn’t at his best last start, giving up five runs, four earned against the Phillies. He’s pitched better away from home in his career with a 3.23 road ERA compared to a 3.77 at home.

Brown hasn’t fared well against the Royals in his career, as he has an 8.82 ERA against Kansas City, his worst of any opponent. Both Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have a home run off Brown and an OPS over 1.000 against the right-handed pitcher.

Wacha has been the Royals' best pitcher with a 3.25 ERA and a 9-8 record. He leads the league in batters faced with 736. Wacha has a 4.1 bWAR with a 4.09 FIP. Wacha also has a 2.44 ERA since the start of August with a perfect 4-0 record. He has been vulnerable to the long ball over this stretch, with eight allowed in seven games.

Astros Lineup

Jeremy Pena bats leadoff in the midst of a major slump. Since Aug. 4, Pena has a .513 OPS with a .168 average. He has done much better this season against right-handed pitching with a .797 OPS compared to .669 against lefties. He’s also hit better at home with a .852 OPS at Daikin Park compared to .703 on the road.

Yordan Alvarez hits second in a relative slump as well for the slugger. He has a .710 OPS in September with just one home run and a .206 batting average. Alvarez also hits better at Daikin Park with a 1.159 OPS at home with a .870 OPS on the road. Alvarez has homered off Wacha in seven at bats. He now trails Junior Caminero by two home runs and Pete Alonso in RBI by four in his triple crown chase. He still leads in batting average.

Isaac Paredes hits third with homers in each of his last two games. He has also reached base safely in 20 straight games. That streak is the second-longest active streak in baseball behind Elly De La Cruz’s 21-game streak.

He has a .917 OPS over this span of 20 games. Paredes has 13 homers at home compared to eight on the road. In his career, Paredes has a .983 OPS in 12 at-bats against Wacha, with a home run.

Jose Altuve hits fourth for the Astros. He has a negative Win Probability Added in eight of his 11 games in the month of September. He has a .651 OPS in the month. Altuve’s home OPS comes out to .799 with just a .609 OPS on the road.

Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yainer Diaz catches and hits in the five-hole. His numbers have improved over the past 16 games. In this stretch, he has a 1.044 OPS. His OPS over this stretch is 13th best in baseball for those players with 50 plate appearances over the span. Diaz has reverse splits for a right-handed hitter, with a .758 OPS against righties and a .684 OPS against lefties.

Daulton Varsho hits in the sixth spot for Houston. He has struggled since joining the Astros with a .554 OPS. On a positive note, he’s always hit well against Kansas City in his career with a .951 OPS against the team. He has a .377 on-base percentage against the Royals.

Christian Walker will be the Astros ' seven-hole batter on Tuesday. Since his 11-game hitting streak ended on Aug. 8, he has a .457 OPS and a .157 average. In Astros wins this year, Walker has a 1.013 OPS and .314 average. In losses, Walker has a rough .395 OPS and a .129 average.

Cam Smith hits eighth for the Astros.  He has an improved .789 OPS since the beginning of August. Smith hit a home run in every game of the Phillies series but managed just one hit in three games against the Rays. His numbers are much better on the road with a .766 OPS away from home and a .594 OPS at home.

LaMonte Wade Jr. hits in the final spot with his .205 average and ,645 OPS. He’s played sparingly in September with 12 at bats in 12 games with a .333 OPS. He’s performed better coming off the bench with a .806 OPS as a replacement.