Astros' Impressive Climb in AL Standings Amid Challenges
The Houston Astros have shown remarkable resilience, climbing the AL standings despite challenges, and are now poised for a strong postseason.
Houston Astros Climb in AL Standings at Time chicago white sox Drop Out of the Postseason
Not long after the Houston Astros clinched a win over the Chicago White Sox, the latter team was officially eliminated from the postseason. This marks the first time this year that an MLB team has exited the playoff race, and it brings to close a difficult season for the White Sox. Originally seen as a potential playoff contender, they have now fallen to a 30-94 record, the lowest in the league.
For the Astros, their recent victory marks their eighth in as many games, and they are now six games behind the second seed for a potential wild card bye. They have also increased their division lead to three games over the Seattle Mariners, which is certainly one of the most impressive transformations this season. At one point during the season, in mid-June, they were 10 games behind the Mariners, but they have mounted a strong comeback since then. They have gone 31-15 post-June with particularly good performances from star players like Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez. Bregman’s recent three-run homer is just one of the highlights of his great performances these past weeks.
Despite injuries to key pitchers like Justin Verlander and Cristian Javier, the Astros’ pitching staff has fared well, and it is thanks to young pitchers like Hunter Brown, Spencer Arrighetti, and Ronel Blanco, who have provided the team with long outings. Yusei Kikuchi has also produced some good starts following the acquisition just before the trade deadline.
A tough schedule awaits the Astros as they have 18 consecutive games without an off-day, starting with a series against the White Sox. They will play several other teams who are currently in playoff contention, including the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and philadelphia phillies. They also stand good odds of taking a division title and advancing in the playoffs, with statistical forecasts giving them a very high probability of a postseason appearance. A good seed seems very much in the offing for the AL playoff bracket.
