What It Means:

McCormick will sit after he went 0-for-7 with 3 strikeouts in the first two games of the series. Yordan Alvarez will shift to left field Wednesday while Michael Brantley serves as the designated hitter and bats sixth.

Per numberFire's MLB Heat Map, the Astros have the second-highest implied total (5.44) behind only a Cubs team playing at Coors Field. Blackburn has a 4.34 SIERA hiding behind his 3.88 ERA this season, with a 3.56 FIP and a career-best 23.1% strikeout rate. However, in his last start, Blackburn only lasted 3 1/3 innings and allowed 6 hits, 2 runs, and a homer.