Astros on a tear despite absence of star second baseman Altuve
Take away George Springer and Jose Altuve, and maybe the Houston Astros start to look a little more beatable. Maybe.
The Boston Red Sox finally snapped Houston’s 10-game winning streak Sunday with a 4-3 victory after Springer left the game with lower back stiffness. The Astros were already playing without Altuve, on the injured list with a strained left hamstring, but that injury did little to slow Houston. Even after Sunday’s loss, the Astros have the best record and best run differential in the major leagues. They lead the AL West by 8 ½ games.
Altuve hasn’t played since May 10, so Houston’s recent torrid stretch took place largely without him. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the American League. In their first four games without their star second baseman, the Astros scored 45 runs against the Rangers and Tigers.
“Our guys are seeing the ball really well and making it tough on them,” Houston manager AJ Hinch said while the Astros were in Detroit. “Driving the pitch counts through the roof.”
The Astros lead the major leagues in batting average, onbase percentage and slugging percentage. Springer and Alex Bregman are 1-2 in the AL in homers, and Springer is the league’s RBI leader. Houston has four of the AL’s top 10 hitters in OPS (Springer, Bregman, Carlos Correa and Michael Brantley) and three of the top six in batting average (Josh Reddick, Brantley and Springer).
Players such as Robinson Chirinos and Jake Marisnick are contributing as well.
“We knew we had built an offense that was very deep and very long, and a lineup that was tough to get through,” Hinch said. “In a long year, you’re going to need contributions from everybody.”
With a pitching staff that includes Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander, the Astros look as well-rounded as any team in the game. Even the bullpen is making news, with Ryan Pressly setting a record Friday with his 39th consecutive scoreless appearance.
With a 10-game homestand starting Monday, Houston has a chance to turn the division race into a rout after winning it by six games last year and by 21 in 2017.
Elsewhere around the majors:
Another ace?
Starting pitching depth has been a strength for the Dodgers for a while, and it’s been on full display this year. Clayton Kershaw’s efforts (3-0 with a 3.40 ERA) have actually been overshadowed by what teammate Hyun-Jin Ryu is doing. Ryu is 6-1 with a 1.52 ERA, and he has a 31-inning shutout streak after pitching seven innings Sunday in a win over Cincinnati.