Houston (5-2) -140, o/u 7 1/2 at San Francisco (4-2), 9 p.m. Eastern
by Ultimatecapper.com Staff
The San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros will again try to get what was supposed to be a three-game series going after back-to-back rainouts the previous two days in the City by the Bay.
Houston's Roy Oswalt will take on San Fran's Matt Cain in the second game of a day-night doubleheader Thursday.
Houston took five of seven games vs. Florida and Washington in a season-opening homestand. The Astros have yet to play a game on the road this season.
San Francisco took three of four games against Atlanta to open its home slate last weekend.
Houston hasn't played since a 5-4 victory over Washington Monday. The Giants haven't played since beating Atlanta 6-5 Sunday.
San Francisco won the season series with Houston last year four games to three. The over went 2-3-2 in those games.
In his last time out, Oswalt allowed five runs in 6 1/3 innings vs. Washington last Friday.
In Oswalt's 39 starts in 2005, the Astros went 25-14, and the o/u went 24-13.
Oswalt started one game vs. San Francisco last year, allowing three earned runs and 10 baserunners (hits + walks) in seven innings of work.
Cain gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings last week vs. Atlanta in his season debut. He has never started a game vs. Houston.
In Cain's seven starts last year, the Giants went 4-3, and the over went 5-2.
The Astros are batting .249 as a team so far this season, averaging 5.0 runs per game. Opponents, though, are batting .292 vs. Houston pitchers. Astros games are averaging 10.1 runs per game so far this season.
The Giants are hitting just .238 as a team so far, and have hit a MLB-low three homers, but they're averaging 5.7 runs per game. This is helped greatly by a bases on balls-to-strikeout ratio of 28-26.
The Houston bullpen sports an ERA of 3.97 so far this season with a 1.28 baserunners per inning ratio.
The San Fran pen has been much more generous, allowing 17 earned runs and 36 baserunners (and four homers) in 18 innings thus far this season.
Giants games are averaging 11.7 runs per game this year.
The over is a combined 8-4 in Astros and Giants games so far this season.
San Francisco’s oft-injured Barry Bonds is listed as probable for Thursday's games, but conditions may change that. The forecast for tonight in SF again calls for cold and wet.
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The Ultimatecapper Pick: Two great pitchers go head to head today. We like the UNDER 7.5 runs. Good luck!
