The Houston Astros are still in first place in the American League West but their lead over the Seattle Mariners is starting to disappear. The Astros held a season-high, seven-game lead in the division on July 6 but the Mariners tied it on Aug. 12 and currently sit 1.5 games back entering Thursday’s action.
While injuries have made the Astros’ push for their fifth straight division title and eighth in the past nine years difficult, Houston still has championship aspirations as they head down the stretch. That’s what made this week’s sweep at the hands of the Detroit Tigers disappointing and led one of their leaders to deliver a blunt message as they head down the stretch.
Carlos Correa Says Astros Weren’t Ready to Play vs. Tigers
The Astros traded for Carlos Correa to bring more championship experience to the roster and the veteran showed why in his comments to the media on Wednesday afternoon. After Houston was defeated 7-2 in the series finale at Comerica Park, Correa put his teammates on blast, citing a lack in their preparation to play against a fellow American League contender.
“We got outplayed,” Correa said via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “It’s as simple as that. They played better baseball. They played a really good brand of baseball and we didn’t. When you are facing one of the best teams in the league and we don’t show up, that’s going to happen.”
Correa went 3-for-10 with a double and a strikeout in the series with the Tigers but he didn’t have much help – especially at the plate. Houston was shutout in the first two games of the series including a 10-0 loss on Monday and a 10-inning 1-0 defeat on Tuesday that ended when Kaleb Ort walked in the game-winning run.
Wednesday’s game was likely the breaking point for Correa as the Tigers scored six times in the first inning on the way to a 7-2 victory that clinched the sweep. With Taylor Trammell exiting the game after crashing into the center field wall in the opening inning, the Astros were probably eager to get out of Detroit, but that may not solve all of their issues.
The Astros are just 7-11 acquiring Correa in a trade with the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline and have lost six of their past eight games dating back to a 14-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 12. Houston has also lost five of those games by five or more runs, which may lead to a sense of panic as the Mariners in.
Fortunately, the Mariners had similar difficulties lately with a five-game losing streak that continued with an 11-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday afternoon. With slugger Yordan Alvarez beginning a rehab assignment this week, it gives Correa confidence moving forward beginning with this weekend’s series with the Baltimore Orioles.
“We’re in a great spot besides the terrible play in the last week,” Correa said. “We’ve got to acknowledge that, and we’ve got to recognize the things we are not doing well right now in order for us to move forward, be better and be the team we know we can be.”