Houston Astros: Three keys to winning the AL West pennant
By T.A. Mock
The Houston Astros have found themselves locked into a surprising three-way race for the AL West Pennant. Let’s take a look at three keys to securing the division crown.
At a little over the 3/4 point of the season, we find the Houston Astros locked into a three-way battle for the lead in the AL West Division. Currently, the Astros are tied with the A’s for first place in the division. The Mariners, who beat the Astros 7-4 last night, are now 3.5 games back of both teams.
This is a battle that no one was expecting at the beginning of the season. The Mariners or maybe the Angels were expected to contend a little bit but, no one expected the A’s to be this good. No expected to have the Astros battling for their playoff lives in August. But, here we are.
There have been games when the pitching is on and dominating but, the hitting isn’t backing it up. Then, there have been games of the opposite, where the hitting is dominant and the pitching is not. It seems that this team can’t put it all together right now.
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There have been massive amounts of injuries. The core three, Jose Altuve, George Springer, and Carlos Correa were all out at the same time. But, tonight, it appears, will be the first time all three will be on the field together in nearly two months.
But, this roster should have enough talent to overcome injuries. The thing is, it hasn’t. This team has struggled and faltered in the wake of this injuries. The good news is, this team is miles and miles away from being out of playoff and championship contention. So, let’s take a look at three keys for the Astros to come away with the AL West pennant.