Houston sailed to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, finally securing their first series win at Daikin Park in more than a month. This wasn’t just another W, folks, because they took three of four from the American League Central leaders, and clinched the season series 5-2. After dropping their last four home series, this was a much-needed shot in the arm.
Formula For Success?
For one afternoon, the Astros looked like they had the perfect game plan dialed in. They grabbed an early lead, saw ace Hunter Brown deliver another quality start through six innings, and then leaned on a relatively rested bullpen to close things out. The offense was cooking, putting up six runs against Chicago right-hander Luis Castillo by the third inning. Talk about giving your starter some breathing room! Hunter Brown, working for his fifth win of the season, did his job, and three relievers combined to retire nine of 10 batters faced. This was Houston’s 10th game out of 13 with no off-day, and honestly, it looked as crisp as anyone could have designed it.
What This Win Actually Means
Baseball’s AL West division is straight-up woeful, though the AL Central isn’t far behind. Even so, the Astros are making moves. This win extended their AL West lead to 2 ½ games, pending the Rangers’ game, and pushed them to their high-water mark at three games over .500. They have 21 games left in their season, and suddenly, they are on a roll, winning seven of their last 10. What’s wild is this upturn comes right after a dismal homestand and the dismissal of their general manager. That’s some timing, right? Now, their next three series are against contending teams, so this surge is happening at a seriously opportune moment.
Their playoff fate is still in their control, which is all you can ask for at this point in the season. Up next, the Arizona Diamondbacks roll into town this weekend. It’s time to see if this formula holds up against more contenders.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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