The Houston Astros came out of the All-Star break with a chance to make a statement in Arlington. Instead, they left with a reminder of the one area that can sink a deadline push in a hurry: the bullpen.
Houston had a three-game set against the first-place Rangers and could have entered the break with real momentum. After splitting the first two games, the Astros were in position to win the series on Sunday afternoon.
They erased a deficit with three runs in the top of the seventh, then grabbed the lead in the eighth. But with just six outs left, Joe Espada’s relief group unraveled.
Texas scored once in the eighth, then walked it off in the ninth for a 6-5 win.
The loss left Houston three games back of Texas in the American League West and 1.5 games out of the wild-card spot. It also sharpened the focus on what the Astros need before the trade deadline, which is less than a month away.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report made that point plainly in his latest weekly power rankings, using Sunday’s collapse as the backdrop.
"It looked as though Houston had turned a corner, going 10-4 in the second half of June to vault back onto the brink of the postseason picture," Miller wrote. "But the Astros blew a golden opportunity to enter the driver's seat in the AL West, twice collapsing late against the Rangers to instead lose some ground in that race. Upgrading the bullpen ahead of the deadline is growing more imperative by the day."
The late innings made the case for him. Espada turned to Bryan Abreu in the fifth, which pushed the burden onto Bryan King and Josh Hader to finish the job.
King gave up the tying run in the eighth, and Hader then allowed the go-ahead run without recording an out. Texas added three hits in the bottom of the ninth to complete the comeback.
For Hader, it was a rough first loss of the season. He’s made 17 appearances, owns a 1.17 ERA and has struck out 25, but Sunday was the wrong moment for the first blemish.
If Dana Brown decides to buy, Houston’s checklist is not small. The Astros need a left-handed hitting power outfielder, another starting pitcher and, now more than ever, bullpen help.
The challenge is that the market may not offer much relief. With so many American League teams bunched together, there are fewer clear sellers than usual. Clubs such as the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins could have pieces other teams want, but they are still stuck in the middle of the race.
That means the first couple of weeks after the break may end up shaping the entire deadline picture, with August 3 looming as the date when those decisions finally get made.
In Other News...
Astros Were Just Tied To A Much Bigger Brewers Concern
The Brewers wrapped up the first half with a loss to the Pirates and a 59-37 record, but the more pressing news for a contender with October ambitions came off the field. Milwaukee kept tinkering with the roster at the break, including bringing in infielder Braden Shewmake from the Astros for cash while also making a few other moves to clear space and reset the depth chart.
Brandon Woodruffs situation is the one hanging over everything. He has not pitched since July 4, and after a new shoulder issue pushed him to the 60-Day Injured List, the Brewers are still waiting on a second opinion before they can map out anything resembling a return plan. For a team trying to protect a strong first half, the uncertainty around one of its key arms is the kind of concern that can linger well beyond the All-Star break. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Just Got Another Troubling Sign About Their Rotation Depth
The Astros rotation depth took another hit this week when right-hander Mike Burrows landed on the 15-day injured list after being optioned to Triple-A. Houston had hoped the move would give Burrows a chance to regroup, but the club instead had to reverse course and nullify the assignment, leaving another arm unavailable as the team tries to keep its pitching staff intact through the summer stretch.
Burrows is not eligible to return until July 22, and his situation comes on the heels of a similar episode with Kai-Wei Teng just three weeks earlier. For a front office that has already spent real prospect capital to build pitching depth, the repeated injury-related reversals are a reminder that the Astros margin for error on the mound is getting thinner, not wider. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Cannot Cross This Trade Deadline Line
The Astros reached the All-Star break at 47-51, a place they have not been in for years and one that forces a different kind of conversation as the trade deadline approaches. If Houston does decide to listen on veterans, it will be doing so from an unfamiliar position, with the front office having to weigh short-term damage against whatever chance remains to keep the season from slipping away.
Yordan Alvarez is the one player who makes that calculation feel especially dangerous. Even in a down year for the club, he has been one of the leagues most productive hitters and remains under contract through 2028 on a deal that still looks favorable for Houston, which is exactly why moving him would be the kind of move that can haunt a team long after the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]