No team should welcome a day off more than the Astros. After experiencing exasperation and exhilaration in their last two games against the Angels, they needed a break desperately. They got one Monday before beginning a two-game series at Colorado on Tuesday and finishing the nine-game road trip with four at Oakland.
The Astros won two of three against the Angels and could easily have swept the series to remain two games behind the Rangers for first place in the AL West, but considering injuries mounted and the overworked bullpen collapsed in the last two games, they're fortunate to be only three games out of first place.
Of the four playoff contenders in the American League West – Rangers, Astros, Mariners and Angels – guess which team has not spent at least one day in first place this season? Yep, the Astros.
Reinforcements should be on the way. Getting back Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve will help, of course. They've played only 13 games together, and it shouldn't be a surprise they're 10-3 in those games. Alvarez has missed 31 games because of a strained oblique muscle. Altuve missed 43 with a broken thumb and nine with a strained oblique. When they're able to return, they'll create a buzz in the clubhouse, on the field and in the stands.
At some point soon, Jose Urquidy is expected to rejoin the rotation. That would give Baker four starters. General manager Dana Brown could provide Baker with another starter and help for the bullpen before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Meanwhile, J.P. France and Brandon Bielak will take their turns in the rotation and continue to impress in a manner nobody thought possible at the start of the season.
It's difficult to imagine the Astros are going to have a tougher time against the Rockies and A's, who have the worst records in the National League and American League, than they had at Anaheim.
After winning the first game of the series 7-5 and beating Shohei Ohtani, the Astros led the Angels 9-3 in the seventh and 12-9 in the ninth and managed to blow both leads, losing 13-12 in 10 innings. Some of the worst relief pitching in years doomed the Astros to defeat.
On Sunday, the roles were reversed. The Astros trailed 7-3 in the eighth and led 9-7 in the ninth before winning 9-8 when a diving Kyle Tucker made a spectacular, game-ending catch in right field to secure the victory. Alex Bregman and Tucker hit back-to-back home runs to fuel the come-from-behind victory.
The victory overshadowed another awful performance from Rafael Montero. He surrendered a three-run double in the eighth but still was credited with a victory. He's now 2-3 with a 6.58 ERA and can't be trusted in any situation.
After Sunday's game, Tucker and Bregman got the well-deserved glory, but Chas McCormick was the unsung hero. Against the Angels, he lifted his batting average from .257 to .280. In the last two games, he had six hits, including three home runs and five runs batted in.
The Astros will need all the hitting they can muster if their pitching continues to falter. Framber Valdez left the first game of the series with what Dusty Baker called a pulled muscle in his left calf.
Before the All-Star break, Cristian Javier was so bad Baker removed him from the rotation to see if rest could be the elixir he so desperately needed. He returned Sunday, allowing four hits and three runs in five innings and striking out seven on 91 pitches. That's not vintage Javier, but it's better than before the All-Star break when he took a nosedive out of the rotation.
If the Astros are going to continue their success on the road – they're 27-20, second in the AL – they need a healthy Valdez, Javier to return to form and Hunter Brown to pitch the way he's capable. Brown was blowing and going before stumbling and then collapsing. Hopefully, rest will do him some good, too. As he showed at the end of last season and for much of this season, Brown can be dominating.
Considering injuries and inconsistency involving some of his best players, Baker just might be doing his best managing job. The Rangers built their most substantial lead on the Astros on June 23 when they were 47-28 and led by 6.5 games. Then the Astros began to whittle the lead, thanks to the Rangers plunging into a 5-11 quagmire going into the All-Star break before sweeping Cleveland over the weekend.
It's good the Astros are on a road trip because they've been more successful away from Minute Maid Park. They have a 25-22 record at home, where their run differential is even. That 27-20 road record includes a plus-51 run differential.
While the Astros are playing the Rockies and A's, the Rangers, who have been in first place for 93 days, are hosting the Rays and Dodgers. This would be the ideal time for the Astros to get on a roll and show Texas who's the real boss of the AL West as well as the Lone Star State.
Both teams are expected to make moves by the trade deadline. The Rangers can hit, but they need more help for their bullpen. It's no secret the Astros need a starting pitcher and a reliever who can contribute to the overtaxed bullpen.
What the Astros need more than help at the trade deadline is to get healthy. They'll eventually be bolstered by the return of Alvarez, Altuve and Urquidy. If they acquire a starting pitcher and another reliever, that could be enough to overtake the Rangers, win another AL West title and perhaps even catapult them to a fifth World Series run in seven years.
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Thursday on Texans Radio. He writes two columns a week and does two Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.
