Houston Astros Accomplish Something for the First Time This Year

During the offseason, the Houston Astros were expected to get aggressive and add pieces to their roster after falling short in the American League Championship Series, but for a time, finances were used as the reason they didn’t pursue high-profile free agents.

Everything changed when they signed superstar reliever Josh Hader.

Immediately, the Astros were considered the American League favorites, and despite a few notable departures over the winter, this group still looked poised to make another long run.

But things didn’t go that way for Houston at first.

They were swept out of the gate in a four-game home series against the rival New York Yankees and even finished in last place at one point in the season. It looked like management was going to have to make a tough decision before the trade deadline if they continued to sink.

But the Astros showed their championship mettle and completely turned the tables.

Now, after beating the Seattle Mariners 3-0 on Friday in their first game back since the All-Star break, they’ve taken the lead in the American League West for the first time this year.

“I want to start by saying how proud I am of this group. We went through a really tough stretch early in the season and we’re in a tie for first place, and I’m just proud of this group. They never stopped fighting, they never stopped believing, and it’s not over yet. Just to be in this position, it’s awesome,” manager Joe Espada said, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

All involved should be proud of this moment.

Things haven’t been easy for Houston, who have had to deal with multiple injuries to their star players and other players performing far below par, but they haven’t panicked and have had faith that things will eventually get better for them.

They have the best record in Major League Baseball since June 1, 26 wins and 13 losses. Their record of 18 wins and 6 losses over the last 24 games has allowed them to catch up with the Mariners.

Getting to this point has been a great accomplishment, but ensuring they win another AL West title will be the next goal as they finally play like a group with this much talent should.