The set-up: Two teams hungry for a win collide here. Two good starting pitchers, but I don't think that the home field advantage can be overlooked as a very real deciding factor in this particular contest. The Angels are 16-18 and the Astros are 18-17. Shohei Ohtani is 1-0 with a 2.41 ERA overall, but with a ballooned 7.20 ERA on the road.

The pick: Houston won't be lacking for motivation here, as it's lost five of its last eight. Lance McCullers Jr. is 2-1 with a 3.58 ERA. Look for Houston to get back into the winners circle in front of the home town crowd.

This is a 10* PLAY-BOOK on the Astros.