Astros Host Reds for Three-Game Series This Weekend

HOUSTON, Texas — The Houston Astros will take on the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game series starting Friday night at Minute Maid Park. The first game is set to begin at 7:10 PM CT, featuring Astros pitcher Hunter Brown, who holds a record of 5-1 with a 1.67 ERA, against the Reds’ Nick Martinez, with a record of 1-3 and an ERA of 4.19.

On Saturday, the matchup will shift to Brady Singer of the Reds, who has a 4-2 record and a 3.66 ERA, pitted against Houston‘s Lance McCullers Jr., who is yet to record an official win this season at 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA. The series wraps up on Sunday with Andrew Abbott (2-0, 2.25) for the Reds facing the Astros’ Ronel Blanco (2-3, 4.98) at 1:10 PM CT.

Historically, the Astros and Reds have met 854 times, making the Reds the most common opponent for the Astros. Houston holds a .470 winning percentage against Cincinnati, with a record of 401 wins and 452 losses, including one draw and no postseason encounters. Notably, the Astros have lost their last nine matchups against the Reds, marking their longest active losing streak against any team. Their last win against the Reds dates back to June 19, 2016.

Mike Fiers earned that last victory, allowing no runs through 5 2/3 innings while showcasing strong pitching with five strikeouts. “My changeup and offspeed pitches were there at times. Basically, I was able to throw my fastballs where I wanted it to, and I was able to get [the Reds] to start swinging the bats,” Fiers noted post-game.

As it stands, both teams share a .500 win-loss record. The Astros are third in the AL West with an 18-18 record, four games behind the division leaders. Meanwhile, the Reds are second in the NL Central with a matching 19-19 record, sitting three games back. Each team projects to finish the season at 81-81 based on current standings, reflecting a 47.9 percent chance for the Astros and a 9.9 percent chance for the Reds to make the postseason.

The Astros are looking to turn around momentum after a recent road trip where they went 1-2 against their rivals. Framber Valdez (2-4, 3.94) recently secured his first win since Opening Day, and team leader Jeremy Peña hit his fifth home run during the same stretch. “Whenever I have a bad time, nobody can be happy with that, but I feel good in giving the team a chance to win,” Valdez said after the game.