The Astros are headed into September with the AL West still in their hands, but the margin is tight enough that every clean inning matters. Houston sits at 70-68, holding a 2.0-game lead over the 68-70 Rangers and a 6.0-game lead over the Mariners. After a season that has swung between seller vibes and playoff chase, the finish line is suddenly right there.
If Houston is going to stay on top, the bullpen may be the separator.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield pointed to five relievers who could end up driving the Astros’ push: Josh Hader, AJ Blubaugh, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, and Tatsuya Imai. Hader, as the closer, is the obvious anchor. The bigger question is whether the rest of that group can keep giving Houston the kind of support it got in August.
That stretch mattered. Schoenfield noted that Okert, Imai, Blubaugh and Abreu combined for a 1.19 ERA in August, a sharp improvement from much of the season. If that version of the relief corps shows up again, Houston’s path gets a lot cleaner.
It won’t be easy to sustain. But if those five late-game arms can keep their ERAs under 3.00 - or even closer to 2.00 - the Astros have a real shot to finish the job and claim another division title.
Of course, the bullpen can’t do it alone. Houston still needs production from Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Pena, Hunter Brown and others to get through the final month. But with the race this close, the back end of the bullpen could decide whether the Astros hold on in the West.
There’s also the bigger-picture backdrop around the club. In what might be Joe Espada’s final season as manager of the Astros, with Dana Brown fired after the MLB trade deadline, Houston still has a chance to reach the postseason despite a year of uneven play.
For now, the equation is simple: keep getting good innings from the bullpen, and the Astros give themselves a strong shot at winning the AL West.
In Other News...
Astros Have A September Roster Decision Fans Should Watch Closely
September always brings a little roster maneuvering, and for the Astros, the move to a 28-man club on Sept. 1 opens the door to add some help for the final month. The front office has a few interesting names to consider from Triple-A, where Miguel Ullola, Cavan Biggio and Trenton Brooks have all put together strong stretches that could make them useful in different ways.
Ullola gives Houston another pitching option, while Biggio and Brooks bring the kind of versatility that can matter when depth gets thin and matchups start dictating decisions. With the stretch run ahead and every game carrying extra weight, the Astros will have to decide which minor league performers are most ready to translate that recent production into a useful September role. [Read more 🡒]
Astros September Push Could Come Down To One Carlos Correa Update
The Astros head into September with the AL West lead in hand, but the next few weeks hardly look comfortable. Houston has 24 games left, and nine of them come against teams already positioned in the playoff race, which puts a premium on getting steady production from the core group that has carried the club this far. Yordan Alvarez, Framber Valdez, AJ Blubaugh, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa all loom as important pieces in what could be a defining stretch.
Correa is the name that hangs over the month most prominently, because his status still carries some uncertainty as he moves toward a scheduled medical checkup tied to his ankle surgery. For an Astros team trying to protect a division lead while navigating a demanding schedule, any update on his availability could shape how the final month unfolds. The bigger picture is straightforward enough: Houston has put itself in position, but September will say a lot about whether that position holds. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Got An Unlikely Offensive Boost They May Really Need
Houston kept its grip on the AL West by getting unexpected offense in a 6-3 win over the White Sox, with Nelson Velzquez and Cam Smith delivering the kind of timely hits that can change the tone of a game. Peter Lambert gave the Astros a workable start, lasting 4 2/3 innings while allowing three runs and striking out six, and the lineup did enough damage to make sure Chicago never fully got back into it.
Velzquez provided the biggest swing of the night with a go-ahead two-run homer in the fourth, a jolt that helped turn a close game in Houstons favor. Smith then added a two-run double in the next inning to widen the gap, a useful reminder for the Astros that production can come from places they may not have been counting on as the season pushes deeper into its stretch run. [Read more 🡒]