Since then, there has been a warming trend for the entire team in all phases of the game. A further look at the numbers shows how the latest win streak seperated this team from the rest of the division. A club record three grand slams in the past nine-game road trip was part of the trend.
Starting the season on the road can be difficult, and the home stand that followed must have been just what the doctor ordered as they kicked off a ten-game winning streak. In that stretch, the Astros batting average was .308 with 20 doubles, 20 home runs and a triple. They also posted a .386 on-base percentage.
Now Houston leads the American League in batting average at .271, and on-base percentage at .348. They are also third in slugging percentage (.456). The lineup is not the only group of Astros trending up.
The pitching staff has a combined 3.00 earned run average which is third-best in all of the major leagues. Specifically, the starters’ ERA is fourth in the league at 3.19 and the bullpen ranks second at 2.61. Together they lead Major League Baseball in opponent batting average (.199) and walks and hits per-innings-pitched (WHIP) at 0.97.