Royals vs. Astros Probable Starting Pitchers Today - September 22

The Houston Astros (85-68) and Kansas City Royals (51-102) square off in the first of a three-game series on Friday at Minute Maid Park, at 8:10 PM ET. The Astros are coming off a series defeat to the Orioles, and the Royals a series win over the Guardians.

The probable pitchers are Framber Valdez (12-10) for the Astros and Cole Ragans (6-4) for the Royals.

Bet Now: Get the latest odds for this matchup and pitcher props on BetMGM. New depositors can use bonus code "GNPLAY" for special offers!

Royals vs. Astros Pitcher Matchup Info

• Date: Friday, September 22, 2023
• Time: 8:10 PM ET
• TV: SportsNet SW
• Location: Houston, Texas
• Venue: Minute Maid Park
• Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo!
• Probable Pitchers: Valdez - HOU (12-10, 3.20 ERA) vs Ragans - KC (6-4, 3.44 ERA)

Watch live MLB games on all your devices! Sign up now for a free trial to Fubo!

Explore More About This Game

Royals Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Cole Ragans

• Ragans gets the start for the Royals, his 11th of the season. He is 6-4 with a 3.44 ERA and 100 strikeouts over 83 2/3 innings pitched.
• In his last time out on Saturday, the left-hander tossed six innings against the Houston Astros, allowing five earned runs while surrendering six hits.
• The 25-year-old has an ERA of 3.44, with 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 27 games this season. Opponents are hitting .209 against him.
• Ragans enters this game with six quality starts under his belt this year.
• Ragans will try to continue an 11-game streak of lasting five or more innings (he's averaging 3.1 innings per outing).
• He has had 15 appearances this season in which he did not allow an earned run.

Cole Ragans vs. Astros

• He meets an Astros offense that ranks fifth in the league with 789 total runs scored while batting .260 as a squad. His opponent has a collective .437 slugging percentage (sixth in MLB play) and has hit a total of 211 home runs (seventh in the league).
• Head-to-head against the Astros this season, Ragans has pitched 10 innings, giving up seven earned runs on 11 hits while striking out 10.

Try FanDuel Fantasy today with our link and make your perfect team!

Astros Probable Starting Pitcher Tonight: Framber Valdez

• The Astros will hand the ball to Valdez (12-10) for his 30th start of the season.
• The left-hander gave up no earned runs in seven innings pitched on Sunday in his last outing, a matchup with the Kansas City Royals.
• The 29-year-old has pitched to a 3.20 ERA this season with 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 2.3 walks per nine across 29 games.
• He's going for his sixth straight quality start.
• Valdez will look to finish five or more innings for the 10th start in a row.
• He has six appearances with no earned runs allowed in 29 chances this season.
• Among qualified pitchers in the majors this season, the 29-year-old ranks seventh in ERA (3.20), 12th in WHIP (1.087), and 28th in K/9 (8.7).

Framber Valdez vs. Royals

• The Royals rank 26th in MLB with 635 runs scored this season. They have a .244 batting average this campaign with 152 home runs (26th in the league).
• The Royals have gone 5-for-24 with a double in one game against the left-hander this season.

Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.