The Astros are still carrying a losing record, but the way they’re playing right now makes that feel more like a temporary label than a real identity. Houston has not dropped a series in weeks, has gone 11-5 in its last five, and is coming back home after taking only two losses on this road trip.
That surge has been driven by the kind of offense that can erase a lot of concerns in a hurry. Yordan Alvarez has been the headline bat, but the production has not stopped there. Houston’s lineup has been getting contributions from all over, and that has made life miserable for opposing pitching staffs.
The pitching picture is improving too. Josh Hader and Hunter Brown are back on the roster, and that matters for a club that has spent much of the season trying to steady itself on the mound. With those pieces returning, Houston looks more and more like a team that could climb right back to the top of the AL West before long.
Now the Astros get to keep pressing at Daikin Park, where they open a three-game set against the Twins on Monday night. The series starts with Peter Lambert taking the ball against Zebby Matthews at 7:10 PM CDT.
Mon, Jun 29 • 7:10 PM CDT: Peter Lambert vs. Zebby Matthews
Tue, Jun 30 • 7:10 PM CDT: Mike Burrows vs. Joe Ryan
Wed, July 1 • 7:10 PM CDT: Tatsuya Imai vs. Taj Bradley
The last game of the series could be the one that draws the most attention. Tatsuya Imai has been electric in his last two outings, piling up 21 strikeouts across those starts while allowing only three earned runs.
Mike Burrows also gives Houston another intriguing arm in the middle of the series. After a one-game demotion to the bullpen, he responded by not allowing a hit or a run. When he returned to the rotation against the Toronto Blue Jays, he delivered a quality start with six innings and one earned run.
That’s the formula for Houston right now: give the offense a chance, and the rest can follow. The bats have been doing enough damage to make the Astros a dangerous bet every night, even with the season-long record still sitting below .500.
And the division race is tightening up at exactly the wrong time for everyone else. After the Texas Rangers’ win and the Seattle Mariners’ loss on Sunday afternoon, Texas moved into first place in the AL West. Houston, though, is right there, just a game back.
In Other News...
Astros May Have Just Solved A Deadline Problem With Tatsuya Imai
Tatsuya Imais recent turn has given the Astros something they badly needed as the deadline approaches: a reason to pause before chasing another arm. After a rocky start to his Houston stint, there were real questions about how quickly he would settle in, but his last two outings have looked much more like the version the club hoped to get when it brought him in. He has gone six innings in each of those starts and racked up 21 strikeouts, a strong stretch that has changed the conversation around him.
The biggest difference has come in how Houston is using him. The Astros have leaned more heavily on his four-seam fastball and slider, and that adjustment seems to have sharpened everything else he does on the mound. If that trend holds, it could give the front office a lot more confidence in its current rotation picture, and it adds another layer to a deadline that was already shaping up to demand some hard choices. [Read more 🡒]
Yordan Alvarez Back In Astros Lineup For Big Tigers Test
Yordan Alvarez was back in the Astros lineup after a one-game reset, with Houston choosing to give its middle-of-the-order force a breather even though there was no injury or illness attached to the day off. The move comes as the Astros continue to juggle the edges of the pitching staff, calling up right-hander Miguel Ullola while optioning Kai-Wei Teng to clear room for a fresh arm.
The timing also sets up a tricky matchup with Detroit sending Jack Flaherty to the mound as he returns from a short injured-list stint. Flaherty has been searching for consistency all season, so Houston gets a chance to lean on Alvarez again against a starter still trying to settle back in, while Ullola waits to see whether this is the day he gets his first major league look. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Deadline Pressure Is Building Around One Frustrating Rotation Question
The Astros have spent most of this season looking for answers in a rotation that has not given them nearly enough, and the numbers only sharpen the concern as the trade deadline approaches. Houstons starters have been one of the least effective groups in baseball, leaving the front office to weigh whether this is the moment to add help or simply hope the current mix stabilizes in time for the stretch run.
That urgency comes with a memory the Astros have not likely forgotten. A year ago, they were in deep pursuit of Dylan Cease before the deal slipped away, and the near-miss now hangs over a club that could again be shopping for starting pitching. Houston does not need a reminder that holding back at the deadline can leave a glaring hole untouched, and this month will show whether the team is willing to push harder when the market starts to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]