I guess I'm going down with the ship? After nailing the first two games of the series, I've missed the last two in betting on the Astros. I'm sticking with them here because the offense is simply too good to keep stranding runners like this. They are 4 for 32 with runners in scoring position this series and that's not a predictive stat. With that kind of traffic, surely they'll break out eventually and I'll take Game 5 with a rookie who has never started in the postseason being the opponent. The Braves have gotten here using so much bullpen, surely a meltdown is on the table there, too.

I'm actually very ready for MLB season to end. I nearly had John Bollman numbers (stud!) until the sticky stuff checkups happened and fell off a cliff for a while. Really didn't see that coming as it seemed to truly favor betting underdogs. Have rallied some. (I'll get you next year John!) Unfortunately, if tonight is the last game of the season, I don't think we will see baseball again until maybe next June at the earliest. There WILL be a lockout, guaranteed, with the CBA up. Sad. Even with the Braves using a bullpen game, I don't understand why they opened as home dogs. Do I think Houston wins tonight? About 60 percent, but I'll take a reasonably priced Braves RL at -165. That's only going up.

The Braves are now 7-0 at home in the World Series and they are just 1 game away from their first World Series since 1995. But they are starting Tucker Davidson today instead of pushing Max Fried up on short rest, so I think they are kinda punting on this game. The Astros lineup is still a big mystery as to when, or if they will break out, but I think today will be the best chance they have. If they take the lead early, they will avoid all Snitker’s big bullpen arms. Snitker also wouldn’t mind that scenario because then all his best guys have 2 days off and Max Fried is on normal rest. Valdez struggled in his first outing, but I think he will have more success the second time around like he did against the Red Sox. Take the Astros to force a Game 6.

These teams have been putting runners on base and threatening the over the past couple games, but they just haven’t been able to get that big hit. Both bullpens have been really good, but this is the third game in a row so everyone’s gonna be pretty sore at this point. However, I think one of these lineups will be shut down but I am not sure which. Valdez struggled in his first outing, but I think he will be much better the second time around. I could see a lot of hits like yesterday but the score staying low because it’s an elimination game. I could see a 5-2, 6-2 finish but I think one of these offenses gets shut down.