BIGGER FISH TO FRY
The Astros again look like a team whose aspirations justifiably go beyond 90 victories and a division title
The Astros had the music cranked up, and the celebration was going strong in the home clubhouse after they defeated Seattle 8-6 on Saturday afternoon. They didn’t know if they would clinch a division title that night — a possibility if the Angels lost to the Rangers on the West Coast.
They didn’t know if they’d complete a sweep over the Mariners the next day.
But they knew they’d posted another win — their 90th of the season — and that was reason enough to be excited.
The Astros celebrate their victories. And they deserve to.
While they haven’t been perfect in recent weeks, they are still a team that can accomplish the big goals it established before the season started.
“We are trying to win games, trying to win series,” Carlos Beltran said. “Every time we win a series, we celebrate. We try to acknowledge we have accomplished something positive.”
Saturday’s win was definitely a positive. The last time the Astros won 90 games was 2004, when they finished 92-70.
There have been a few headscratchers in the last few weeks — the Astros are 5-5 in their last 10 games, with four of those losses coming at Oakland, the AL West’s cellar dweller — but the Astros are starting to look like the team that turned heads at the beginning of the season and looked like a bona fide World Series contender.
This week’s bounce-back — four wins in five games — has been good.
“We’ve been able to get over road bumps pretty well this year,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
That was certainly the case Saturday, when a noon start created a short turnaround from Friday night. The Astros were were rolling right away.
Dallas Keuchel looked at ease. He had command and poise and was in early-season form.
In the second inning, the Astros reminded the crowd just how tough their lineup could be.
Carlos Beltran singled, and Alex Bregman walked. Two outs later, Derek Fisher delivered an RBI double. George Springer then singled in two runs. Josh Reddick doubled home another. Just like that, the Astros led 4-0.
Their bats didn’t slow — Beltran finished 3-of-4 with two RBIs — and the 7-1 lead the Astros took was crucial as the Mariners picked apart their bullpen for four eighth-inning runs. Musgrove to the rescue
It was “Superhero Day” at Minute Maid Park, and luckily, the Astros had one in the pen to turn to. With closer Ken Giles unavailable, Joe Musgrove swooped in to get the final six outs — Mitch Haniger’s solo homer in the ninth was the only blip — and earn his first career save.
Since being pulled out of the starting rotation, Musgrove has been as impressive as anyone on the team. After going 4-8 with a 6.12 ERA as a starter, he’s 3-0 with a 1.57 ERA out of the bullpen.
As Musgrove was retiring the last few Seattle batters Saturday, there was a feeling that this team is getting everything back on track at the right time. On Sunday, they have the chance to celebrate a division title at their home park with their new superstar, Justin Verlander, on the mound.
“This is what we sought out to do at the beginning of the season,” Reddick said. “This is what you play for: to win games and to put yourself in good positions.”
Hinch and his team were glad to get another step closer to their goals, but are also cautious about getting ahead of themselves.
“This is a tough stretch,” Hinch said. Health is paramount
But it’s reassuring to have Carlos Correa and Springer — who both had second-half stints on the disabled list — back in the lineup on a daily basis. And although backup outfielder Jake Marisnick likely had his season ended last week by a fractured thumb, recently acquired Cameron Maybin can fill that void.
Now the Astros hope Lance McCullers Jr. can get back on the mound soon and regain the form that made him an All-Star this season.
“We need everyone back,” Hinch said. “We also need them to be good.” They are all in on that. “This clubhouse feels the way it did in early June,” Keuchel said. “Everyone is still coming in and working really hard.”
Ninety wins and a division title are nice. But this team is far from content.
“It’s good to get to this point. That’s been the goal all along,” Beltran said. “But at the end of the day, we want more.”
The Astros are certainly capable of getting it. jenny.creech@chron.com twitter.com/jennydialcreech