The Astros head into New York carrying two very different storylines: a playoff race that’s tightening fast and a Yordan Alvarez Triple Crown chase that still has real juice. That combination makes this week feel bigger than a normal road trip, even if Alvarez is trying hard to keep the group from treating it that way.
“We talked about this with the guys, we have to concentrate on that it’s just another series,” Alvarez said. “We can’t be thinking about, ‘It’s the Yankees, it’s the Mets.’ We’re just thinking about going out there and contributing the way we can and looking at the next couple of series like any other series.”
Houston opens a weeklong stay in the city Tuesday with three games against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, then moves to Queens on Friday for a set against the Mets at Citi Field. For a club trying to stay in the hunt in the AL West, the timing matters.
The Astros are coming off a rough stretch, dropping six of nine at home against three AL West teams with sub-.500 records, and that left them at 65-66 and a half-game behind the Rangers. Houston also owns the tiebreaker.
The matchup with New York carries extra edge because these teams have been intertwined for years. The Astros and Yankees have met four times in the postseason since 2015, and Houston won every one of those series, starting with the 2015 AL Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium and continuing through the ALCS in 2017, 2019 and 2022. Still, the Yankees have had Houston’s number lately, going 16-7 against them since 2023.
Both clubs are chasing October positioning, which gives this series a little more bite than a typical late-summer set. The Yankees are trying to keep pace with the Rays in the AL East, while the Astros are fending off the Rangers and Mariners in the West. Another postseason meeting wouldn’t be a surprise, and this week should at least hint at that kind of atmosphere.
The schedule doesn’t exactly soften from here, either. Five of Houston’s next six series - 16 of the next 19 games - come against teams still in the playoff mix.
That could be a problem for a club that has been shaky against weaker opponents, but it also fits Houston’s profile better than you might think. The Astros are 19-14 against teams with a .500 record or better, compared with 46-52 against teams at or below .500.
Even more daunting, 19 of the Astros’ final 31 games are against teams that are either already in a postseason spot or within two games entering Tuesday. That stretch includes 10 games against first-place teams: the White Sox, Rays and Braves.
“I know we’re playing some good teams, but we are one of those good teams, as well, and that’s what we’ve got to do -- continue to score, play good defense and pitch, and we’ll be good,” Astros second baseman Jose Altuve said.
Alvarez remains the headliner in the lineup. He was the AL Player of the Month for July, and even though his bat has cooled in August, he entered Tuesday leading the league in all three Triple Crown categories: batting average at .320, home runs with 36 and RBIs with 90.
He also brings a track record that should matter in the Bronx. Alvarez has a career 1.133 OPS in 75 regular-season plate appearances at Yankee Stadium, with nine home runs.
And with the way opposing clubs are handling him, he may not see many clean chances to swing. He already owns the Astros’ single-season record for intentional walks with 28, including three in Sunday’s 7-6 loss to the A’s.
Given Houston’s offensive struggles, that number could keep climbing.
“It’s good for me and the team to get a man on base, and also it’s a little bit frustrating not to be able to contribute offensively the way I know I can contribute to the team,” he said on Sunday.
That offense will face a brutal first test. Yankees starters entered Monday with the best ERA in the majors at 3.35 and ranked third in strikeout rate at 25.1%. Their rotation has been stingy for a while, allowing two runs or fewer in 21 of the last 24 starts and one run or fewer in 16 of those.
The Astros do appear set to dodge Cam Schlittler and Carlos Rodón, but the assignment is still plenty difficult. Will Warren, who is 8-6 with a 4.43 ERA, is lined up for Tuesday, and Gerrit Cole, at 7-6 with a 3.11 ERA, is set for Thursday. For an Astros offense that has struggled through much of August, posting a .687 OPS and averaging 4.0 runs per game, that’s a tough way to start a road trip.
In Other News...
Joe Espadas Awkward Mistake Now Feels Bigger For The Astros
A routine mound visit turned into an uncomfortable moment for the Astros when Joe Espada went out to settle Hunter Brown down against the Athletics and instead appeared to trigger a pitching change. A reliever ended up coming into the game, turning what should have been a simple in-game conversation into the kind of miscued moment that sticks when a team is already trying to steady itself.
For Houston, the optics only get sharper because this comes at a time when the organization is already in transition after mutually parting ways with Dana Brown, and Espadas own future is said to be uncertain. The Astros still have plenty of talent, but the recent stretch has included departures, uneven results and more postseason disappointment than the standard this franchise has built, which makes even a small dugout mistake feel heavier than it normally would. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Make Stunning Front Office Change In Middle Of AL West Race
The Astros are making a major front office change at a time when every decision still carries weight in the AL West race. Dana Brown and the club have mutually agreed to part ways, ending a run that began when he took over as general manager in January 2023. Houston now shifts its baseball operations responsibilities to assistant general managers Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff, with senior advisor Jeff Bagwell also part of the transition.
For a franchise that has spent years trying to keep its standard high, the timing makes this a meaningful shakeup, not just a routine staff move. Browns contract was set to run through the end of the 2026 season, so the split arrives with plenty of season and organizational business still ahead, and owner Jim Crane will oversee baseball operations as the Astros sort out what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Get A Needed Lift Heading Into Yankees Series
Joe Espadas brief absence came at an inconvenient time, but the Astros are getting their manager back just in time for one of the more consequential stretches of their season. Espada missed the series finale against the Athletics because of a family emergency, leaving bench coach Omar Lpez to handle the game in his place, and now Houston heads into the opener against the Yankees with its usual dugout voice back in place.
For a club sitting at 65-66 and still clinging to the top of the AL West, even small bits of stability can matter. The Astros have spent much of the summer trying to steady themselves, and having Espada rejoin the team before a visit from New York at least gives Houston a more familiar backdrop as it tries to keep control of the division race. [Read more 🡒]