Astros Unable to Recreate Late Season Magic, Fighting for Their Postseason Lives

Astros’ Postseason Hopes in Peril Entering Final Weekend

When Everything Went Wrong

The Astros had a comfortable six-game lead in the American League West in mid-July. Then it started slipping. Even in mid-August and early September, the Astros still controlled the division, as minuscule as the lead was. 

After a much-needed sweep of the Texas Rangers at home, Houston entered the critical weekend series against the Seattle Mariners tied for first. In the biggest moment of the year, the expectation was, as it always has been since 2017, that the Astros would come through.

It Turned Ugly

Nope. Instead, it was a miserable sweep at the hands of Seattle. With ace Hunter Brown on the mound, he went six innings and only allowed two runs, but the Astros again failed to score and lost 4-0. 

The next day, Houston was losing 6-0 as Valdez collapsed. Even with a seventh-inning grand slam from Jeremy Peña, the effort was not enough in the 6-4 loss. The disaster continued on Sunday with the Mariners scoring seven runs in the second inning, marking Jason Alexander’s worst outing in an Astros uniform. The final was 7-3. 

The losing streak reached five games after terrible offensive showings in Sacramento against the Athletics. Houston lost 5-1 on Tuesday and was shut out again 6-0 on Wednesday. The offense has disappeared when they needed it the most. Despite an 11-5 win on Thursday, Seattle has already clinched the division title. 

The Past Success

In 2023, Astros fans were in complete panic about possibly missing the playoffs. The team responded with clutch wins in Seattle to somehow emerge victorious in the division race on the last day of the season. 

In the last game, Mauricio Dubon hit a huge three-run homer in the fourth to give Houston the lead. Houston won the division with a 90-72 mark, tied with the Rangers, but won the season series tiebreaker. 

In 2024, Houston struggled early but caught fire late, winning their seventh straight full-season division title at 88-73, 3 1/2 games ahead of Seattle. The Mariners choked the previous two years, but third time was the charm. With an offense to support their elite pitching, Seattle flipped the script and has won their first division title since 2001. 

The clutch magic the Astros had over the last two seasons has vanished. They are now in a fight for their playoff lives. 

What Really Matters

Division titles are great, but performing in the playoffs matters more. Last year, the Astros won the division, but got swept in the Wild Card round at home by the Detroit Tigers. 

With their experience and championship pedigree, the Astros can become a different animal in October. MLB’s postseason pressure is unique, and many teams fold. Houston is proven. All they need is a chance. 

Now, even to get that chance, it’s going to take some really good baseball over the next three games from a team that has just looked terrible recently, the Los Angeles Angels. Houston will have to win all three games. It seems like a mammoth task for this team right now.