Perhaps, as has been suggested in our little blog, no one will win the AL West. The title will fall as a default to the team that stinketh the least.
But if the title can be won by better play by the Astros, the time is now.
The Astros play a nine-game homestand against the Mariners, Angels and Athletics, and it sets up as a chance for the team to stretch that lead out a bit.
Depending on how Thursday’s game goes between the Rangers and the Mariners, the Astros will start their homestand on Friday with a one-game or two-game lead over the team from South Oklahoma.
A quick look at their opponents in this homestand….
Seattle Mariners
- 56-65 – third place in the AL West
- Since they held a half-game lead in the division at 51-50 on July 20, the M’s have been in a bit of a free fall – going 5-15 in their last 20 games and are currently 5-1/2 games back in the West.
- While there is plenty of blame to go around – the Mariners’ offense scored two runs or less in 11 of those games – all losses.
- On the season….
- The Mariners offense – 468 runs (15th and last in the AL) / .228 BA (15th) / .308 OBP (14th) / .683 (14th)
- Starting pitching – 3.79 ERA (5th in AL) / 1.14 WHIP / 693 IP (1st)
- Relief Pitching – 3.94 ERA (7th in AL)/ 1.33 WHIP (9th)/ 26 Saves (13th)
Los Angeles Angels (of wherever)
- Despite winning two of the first three games of their series with the Rangers, the Angels are 47-74 – tied with the Athletics for last in the AL West and also tied for the worst record in all of baseball.
- On the season….
- Angels offense – 493 runs (12th in AL) / .235 BA (12th)/ .310 OBP (13th) / .686 OPS (12th)
- Starting pitching – 4.59 ERA (13th in AL)/ 1.36 WHIP (12th) / 604 IP (10th)
- Relief pitching – 4.35 ERA (12th in AL) / 1.39 WHIP (12th) / 18 Saves (15th)
The A’s of Neverland
- It is almost hard to believe that the A’s were leading the AL West for most of the first couple of months of the season. Since May 26, when they were 27-28 and 0.5 games up, they have been 20-46 and plummeted to the bottom with the Angels.
- On the season …..
- A’s offense – 524 runs (9th in the AL) / .243 BA (7th) / .316 OBP (9th) / .715 OPS (8th)
- Starting Pitching – 5.31 ERA (15th in the AL) / 1.49 WHIP (15th)/ 588 IP (13th)
- Relief Pitching – 5.80 ERA (15th in the AL) / 1.53 WHIP (14th) / 29 Saves (11th)
Just as a reminder
Houston Astros
- The Astros are 62-60 and in first place up 1.5 games in the AL West.
- Since July 19 when they were 47-54 in third place and four games back in the division, the Astros have gone 15-6 to get where they are.
- On the season….
- Astros offense – 559 runs (3rd in the AL) / .243 BA (4th)/ .319 OBP (5th)/ .730 OPS (2nd)
- Starting Pitching – 5.11 ERA (14th in the AL) / 1.43 WHIP (14th)/ 594 IP (12th)
- Relief Pitching – 3.90 ERA (6th) / 1.26 WHIP (4th) / 38 Saves (3rd)
This will come down to how the Astros’ shaky starting pitchers do and whether their up-and-down offense can take advantage, especially of the Angels and the A’s.
ALL THINGS ASTROS 
7 responses to “It is time…”
This is easy. Based on the 15-6 run, they’ll finish the season with 91 wins (29-11 in the last 40 games). They’ll finish with the two seed behind Tampa who has 92 wins.
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I’ll take impossible finishes for 300 Alex.
A .725 percentage is basically unheard of but I’ll take 22-18 which should get us in the Playoffs. Would love to see us go 6-3 on the upcoming home stand but with this team you never know.
But I like the way you think mark.
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My pessimistic mind immediately assumed you were saying it is time for a fire sale. Since we missed the trade deadline they may as go out and win, but we can’t have another one of those endings where we almost made the playoffs and just end up with middle of the round picks and nothing to show for it.
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Mark – I like how you are thinking (I know with a little tongue in cheek) – let’s take their hottest stretch and extrapolate it to a Red Sox like run! (Let’s don’t extrapolate the earlier 47-54 record and end up under .500)
Z – I love the Jeopardy reference and yes if they can just be solidly above .500 down the stretch they will make the playoffs
Devin – Hey it’s easy to be pessimistic but at least we had Paris…. Uh at least we went to the ALCS and beyond between 2017 and 2023.
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I just know it feels like every time it comes down to the Angels and Athletics for a series in August/September, it hardly ever goes as planned. The only thing we are missing a series against the hapless Royals so we can get swept and lose a playoff spot.
Won’t matter, no one wants this division. They are passing around 1st place like a hot potato. Once you think it’s going south and you lose 2 out of 3, the Mariners one up you by getting swept or the Rangers match. It’s going to be hard to catch them.
If you can’t tell, yes, I’m getting a little salty pessimism. I love the winning, but the way we win games, I don’t love. The pitching holds up, the offense goes to sleep. The offense wakes up, the pitching goes to sleep. Lets get them both rolling then base run ourselves out of a game, or let a lazy fly ball land between 3 people. This team I am watching have 5 pitch innings from our hitters is frustrating. Most nights I wish I had a fast forward button so I could just get to the 7th and watch just the last 3 innings. It’s not a fun brand of baseball even if it has been winning baseball. And don’t get it twisted, since the moment they were 11 games under and looked dead in the water they have been playing winning baseball. But the American League is just so full of bad baseball, poor defenses, that it keeps us in it.
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Ha ha. Wait, I’m the cynic here.
The Rangers are in trouble. Eovaldi has elbow inflammation, on the 15 day, but he’ll be out for at least three weeks, and plausibly for the season. deGrom got pulled after two innings last night. He’s got right triceps fatigue and will likely get MRI results today at some point. They lost 3 of 4 to the Angels. Meanwhile the M’s have won just 6 out of their last 21. They lost 3 of 4 to the Yankees. Then we’ve got the A’s and the other A’s battling it out for last place in the West.
So conservatively, we should win 6 of our next 9 games. We’re home. We’ve got our three most reliable starters lined up to start against the Mariners. Tomorrow night is Yordan Bobblehead night. And Sunday, on National TV, a free Imai T-Shirt for the first ten thousand clamoring fans through the gates. Then we’ve got 6 games against those two teams worse than the Gigantes that just handed us a couple of wins. Heck, even a 5-4 home stand should be pleasant enough.
Problem is, we might even go 7 and 2 or 3 and 6. Pena should unslump. Yordan should be getting ready to hit a batch of dingers. Maybe Cam will get the OPS over .700 once and for all. But I have zero clue as to what our Astros might gift us with. Looking forward to sharing the next nine with everyone!
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What a surprise at the ballpark tonight. I had mentally written the Astros off and the bats came alive in the 10th to pull the win out.
Beware of the score tomorrow. We all know what happens when the Astros score 10+ runs and play the next day.
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