Astros Heading On Biggest Road Trip Of The Decade
By Yoni Pollak
Meaningful baseball in September. I like the sound of that.
“Astros baseball” has been synonymous with “the worst club in the majors” for several years since the turn of the decade. That changed this year.
After many consecutive seasons of being the worst team in baseball, the Astros find themselves in unfamiliar territory: first place.
The Astros have held that spot in the division for 131 days this year, either leading the AL West or at least tied for the division-lead. As they head on a 10-game, 11-day road trip, they stand three games ahead of the competition, the Texas Rangers.
A.J. Hinch‘s ballclub has notoriously struggled on the road this season with a 27-38 record away from the friendly confines of Minute Maid Park. That will have to change on this road trip as they face three division rivals in the franchise’s biggest road trip in the last 10 years.
The good news for the Astros is that they’re finally healthy on the offensive side of things. George Springer and Carlos Correa are back in the lineup and both should be ready to handle a full workload over the last month of the season. Jed Lowrie looks to be back in the swing of things and hopefully he brings his hot bat on the road trip. He’s hitting .385 with a .885 slugging percentage in his last seven games.
Carlos Gomez is also heating up, hitting .333 over his last seven games. Gomez brings a ton of energy to the plate and though the power hasn’t quite been there yet, his defense and speed on the basepaths could be contagious for a young team. Utility player Marwin Gonzalez is hitting .345 over the last seven games and is also a crucial part of Hinch’s lineup.
The pitching hasn’t been the issue for the Astros, though losing Scott Feldman certainly hurts. Still, the Astros enter their 10-game road trip with five good starters, all of whom Astros fans can feel pretty confident in to give you at least six quality innings.
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If the Astros can bring those hot bats on their road trip, they could easily win six or seven of these games. The Athletics have been bottom-dwellers most of the season, so a series win in Oakland is crucial. Even more crucial than wins over Oakland, are wins over the Angels and Rangers. The Astros will head to Los Angeles for a three-game set before ending the road trip with four against the Rangers.
The series against the Rangers will likely be the biggest series of the season. The Astros absolutely must at the very least split the four-game set. Losing three or even being swept is a non-option for the good guys from Houston.
A team with a three-game lead on September 7th should be able to take home the division crown. This road trip will tell you a lot about this young ball club and if they’re ready for October play.
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Next: The Scott Feldman Factor