The set-up: This series features a couple of interesting match-ups on the mound and this is one of them. That said, I think that Charlie Morton and the defending champs will find a way to a victory here and I believe they're well worth the price of admission in this spot. The home side sends Marco Gonzales to the hill.

The pitchers: Morton is so far 12-3 with a 2.78 ERA. He most recently gave up two runs off four hits over five innings while striking out four in a no-decision to the A's on Friday. Morton continues to defy the odds and I don't think there's any reason to doubt that he can't keep the momentum rolling again here. Note that he owns a sharp 1.15 WHIP and has 175 strikeouts over 142.1 frames of work.

Gonzales is so far 12-8 with a 3.91 ERA. He most recently gave up four earned runs off eight hits with three walks over five innings in a loss to Oakland in his last start. Gonzales has been sharp overall this year, although he does own a rather pedestrian 4.49 ERA in all "day" games.

The pick: There is room for concern looking at Gonzales. His last start was an indicator in my mind that he's starting to run out of gas. Morton though is on track to put together the best campaign of his career. I look for Morton to continue his strong play with another focused effort in the Pacific Northwest. Play on the Astros.