Astros Blank Mariners 7-0, Make DarkHorse Look Foolish in Seattle

Well, that was embarrassing. The Astros rolled into Seattle riding a four-game skid and averaging under three runs per game, then promptly hung seven on the board while shutting out the Mariners completely. So much for that 1.62 ERA advantage we loved.

Cristian Javier, who came in sporting a bloated 5.31 ERA, apparently didn't get the memo about his struggles. Meanwhile, Logan Gilbert—the supposed ace with the 3.69 ERA and home-field edge—got absolutely shelled. The Mariners' bats, which we figured would capitalize on Houston's pitching woes, managed a grand total of zero runs. Zero. The vaunted home advantage? Worthless. That 5-2 season record against Houston? Ancient history.

Our Mariners -150 pick was predicated on starting pitcher disparity and recent form, but baseball has a cruel way of making fools of us all. The Astros offense woke up at the worst possible time, and Gilbert picked the worst possible night to implode. Sometimes the numbers lie, and sometimes a struggling team just flips the script when you least expect it.

Final tally: Astros 7, Mariners 0. DarkHorse's pick: MISSED. Badly. We'll lick our wounds and move on—that's the game.