Game No. 158 Preview: Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners

Houston Astros (82-75) vs. Seattle Mariners (83-73), September 27, 2016, 7:10 PM CT

TV: ROOTSW
Radio: KBME 790 AM, La Nueva 94.1 FM
Online: MLB.TV
Mariners SBNation Blog: Lookout Landing

Pitching Matchup

RHP Mike Fiers (11-8, 4.40 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) vs. RHP Felix Hernandez (11-6, 3.61 ERA, 1.29 WHIP)

Preview

The Houston Astros won’t below .500 but they won’t be making the playoffs either. The team had a disastrous start they couldn’t over come. But they can still play for pride and keep a fellow member of the American League West out of the playoffs if they choice to do so.

Mike Fiers will have to take down King Felix. Fiers is 2-2 with a 5.03 ERA in his last 19 2/3 innings. That includes six scoreless innings against the Mariners in Seattle on Sept. 17.

Fiers is an ERA a full run lower at home (3.91) compared to on the road (4.99).

Current Mariners are batting .281 (18x64) against Fiers with a .286 BABIP, 6.51 FIP, 17.6 K%, and a 10.8 BB%.

Felix Hernandez has been on a roller coaster alternating poor starts with quality starts: one earned run (Aug. 26 x CWS), six earned runs (Aug. 31 vs. TEX), six earned runs (Sept. 5 vs. TEX), zero earned runs (Sept. 10 vs. Oakland), five earned runs (Sept. 16 vs. HOU), and zero earned runs (Sept. 21 vs. TOR).

Of course, that means the Astros will tag King Felix for another five runs, right? Maybe. That one outing was Hernandez’s only start against Houston this season. Felix is 3-4 with 4.07 ERA in nine career starts against Houston.