Just a few days ago, it looked like the Astros were going to sweep the Mariners. Instead, the Astros dropped the series.
Once again, momentum proved to do no favors for the Houston Astros.
The Houston Astros missed a huge opportunity this weekend, dropping the series to the Mariners and barely holding on to the lead in the AL West, leaving the question: are the Astros even good? They might be leading the division, but the rest of the numbers say otherwise.
Here is a look at the division standings, per MLB:
Houston Astros: 63-62, .504, first place
Texas Rangers: 61-64, .488, 2.0 GB
Seattle Mariners: 59-66, .472, 4.0 GB
Athletics: 49-75, .395, 13.5 GB
Los Angeles Angels: 49-76, .392, 14.0 GB
Friday night felt like a statement game. Houston fell behind, but once again made a comeback, and won it in extra innings on a three-run homer crushed by Christian Walker, 10-7.
It gave another illusion of momentum once again for the Astros. Again, that momentum did them zero favors, and Seattle took the next two.
A 10-5 loss Saturday, followed by Sunday's tighter 3-2 defeat. Two legitimate wins for a team that had lost six straight just over a week earlier. But an ugly way for the series to play out for the Astros, especially after that incredible ending to the series opener.
Seattle now leads the season series 9-2. For a team sitting in third place, five games under .500 at the time this series started, that's a genuinely impressive record against the division leader. Impressive, meaning it doesn't make any sense.
So what is the issue with this team? They have the talent or at least a handful of it.
None of the Astros' pitchers are coming back from injury the way they hoped. Even Brown, who was only working back from a shoulder strain, not surgery, hasn't looked like himself since returning to the mound. And the outfield has its problems of its own.
The only reason Houston is still in first is because the rest of the division is even more inconsistent. Texas is two games back, Seattle is four back, and both the Athletics and Angels are no longer a division threat. This is a division race being won by default, not by dominance.
This series goes to show that the AL West race isn't decided, and this team still has some serious work to do down the stretch.
