Potential series mismatch of season as Tigers begin 4-game set at Astros

One could easily make an argument that the Houston Astros have the most talented roster in all of baseball, and they are currently 2/1 favorites on the MLB futures odds at the Westgate to win their second World Series in three years. One could also easily make the argument that the Detroit Tigers have the worst roster in the sport – the Baltimore Orioles are in the discussion – as they have the worst overall record in the majors and the fewest road wins.

Point being: Detroit visits Houston for four games starting Monday and there are going to be some incredibly lopsided MLB odds favoring the Astros in each game. Then again, upsets do happen. On Sunday, Aug. 11, in Baltimore, the Astros were as high as -550 on the MLB odds against the Orioles but were upset 8-7. It was the biggest upset in MLB in 15 years.

Monday's game looks like it could be one of the pitching mismatches of the season. It's Cy Young candidate Wade Miley (11-4, 3.11) Houston. The lefty is having a career year at age 32. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but two of his starts this year and is 5-0 with a 2.42 ERA in his past nine. Miley hasn't personally lost since June 17 and won in Detroit on May 14, allowing four runs over six innings. His ERA at home is just 2.02.

On the flip side, Detroit goes with veteran journeyman Edwin Jackson (3-5, 8.62), who has pitched for a big-league record 14 teams. He began this year with Toronto and was 1-5 with an 11.12 ERA before being released. Jackson has been better in the second stint of his career with the Tigers (also in 2009), allowing three runs and eight hits over 11.1 innings in two starts. 

To no surprise, the Astros swept three games in Detroit from May 13-15, outscoring the Tigers 24-6. These teams don't belong in the same league in 2019.