Playoff race remains a race due to sluggish offense
This is the challenge the Astros have built.
Early-inning struggles by Zack Greinke and early misfires by the Astros’ offense Wednesday against the Mariners led to a 3-2 loss, which led to an overnight flight to Arlington, which led to another day of an undecided three-team American League West playoff chase.
That race resumes Thursday, the beginning of Houston’s final regular-season series against the Texas Rangers, the last gasp this season for a team that a year ago was within one win of aworld Series title and in 2020 struggles to surpass break-even status.
And that, children, is the challenge that the Astros have built.
Houston’s daily struggle toward playoff assurance was extendedwednesday by yet another offensive misfire against yet another pitcher, Mariners lefthander Nick Margevicius, posting subpar metrics, before a late rally against the Seattle bullpen.
“It was a bad day at the ballpark,” said Astros manager Dusty Baker. “You hate to lose like that, especiallywhen you had opportunities.
“We’re missing balls we ordinarily put in play. Maybe we’re trying to hit them too hard, too far. We have to go back to making good contact and getting good pitches to hit.”
These are the numbers at hand: At 28-28, the Astros lead the Angels (26-31) by 2½ games and the Mariners (25-31) by three games entering Thursday’s action. At best, they cannot clinch a playoff spot until at least Friday night.
Houston could have eliminated
the Mariners from contention for the second playoff spot in the AL West but managed just seven hits off Margevicius, who entered with a 1-3 record and a 5.35 ERA, and two Seattle relievers.
The Astros made it close in the ninth on a walk to Kyle Tucker and a double by Aledmys Diaz against reliever Yoshihisa Hirano, and pinch hitter Josh Reddick’s base hit gothouston within a run.
George Springer followed with a base hit, but Jose Altuve struck out to end the game.
With the loss, Houston fell to 914 during September, a month that has been defined by inconsistent, inefficient offense and pitching that has labored mightily to limited effect with little run support.
“We had a number of opportunities,” Baker said. “The strikeout was haunting us. We just didn’t get the clutch hit we needed until the end.
“(Margevicius) had us kind of eating out of his hand because he was effectively wild. He would throw two or three balls and then throw some quality strikes.” The Astros’ regular season
wraps up with four games against the Rangers at Globe Life Field, their first visit to the Rangers’ new covered ballpark.
The Angels close with three games at Chavez Ravine against the Dodgers after a day off Thursday, and the Mariners have four games remaining at Oakland, including a Saturday doubleheader.
Given that their opponents
both face division champions while the Astros face the cellardwelling Rangers, the Astros retain a reasonable chance to advance to the eight-team playoff field as the division runners-up.
But the delay in wrapping up the playoffs signals a delay in the team’s ability to transition from the abbreviated regular-season grind to the pressurized playoff atmosphere.
The Mariners got an early lead in the first inning with three consecutive hits off Greinke (3-3). Kyle Lewis had a one-out infield single, moved to third on Kyle Seeger’s base hit to right and scored on Ty France’s double down the third base line.
Seattle finished off Greinke in the fifth on a one-out base hit by J.P. Crawford, a two-out RBI double by Seeger and an RBI base hit by France.
The righthander allowed three runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings with five strikeouts and awalk. He has two losses and a no-decision since his last win Sept. 3 against the Rangers at Minute Maid Park.
Nowtheastros return to Texas, their next stop in what they hope will be a month-long road trip through the regular season and playoffs, with a playoff berth within reach.
“We need to get back to where we need to be mechanically with our swings,” Alex Bregman said. “You go through the highs and lows, and you’ve got to continue to fight and battle.”