After slow start, Astros have plenty of reasons for optimism heading into break

ARLINGTON -- The Astros head into the All-Star break having lost four of their last six games after letting a winnable game get away from them when the Rangers walked them off for a 6-5 win in Sunday’s series finale at Globe Life Field. That one didn’t feel good for anyone in orange and blue.

So let’s take a look at the silver lining. The Astros hit the All-Star break with a 47-51 record, which leaves them three games behind the first-place Rangers in the American League West and 1 1/2 games behind second-place Seattle, as well as 1 1/2 games out in the AL Wild Card. Anything can happen.

Considering the hole the Astros dug themselves earlier in the season, when injuries wrecked their pitching staff, being in the division race with 64 games remaining brings optimism for the second half.

“We’re going to start the second half still in a really good spot,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’re going to take a little break here, and then we’re going to come back ready to go.”

The Astros’ wobbly first half saw them start 19-30 while the rotation was in shambles and the offense carried them. Once the rotation got healthier and stabilized, relief pitching improved dramatically, but the offense has been inconsistent for much of the past two months. Thank goodness for Yordan Alvarez, right?

The Astros are 27-20 since May 22.

“I’m proud of the guys, proud of us for fighting and clawing the way we have,” first baseman Christian Walker said. “We’ve had these monthly goals of playing better than the previous months and we’ve been doing that. I think we’re in a great spot.

“At the end of the year, you want a chance. You just need to be close. Anybody can get hot at the end; anybody can get hot at the right time -- all the cliches, right, just about getting in. I saw it with Arizona firsthand [in 2023]. Love this group and proud of us for the way we finished the first half.”

The Astros had 16 players on the injured list at one point, including four starting pitchers who began the season in the rotation, including ace Hunter Brown, as well as their starting catcher, shortstop, third baseman, left fielder and All-Star closer. They currently have seven players on the IL, with two starting pitchers -- Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski -- likely to rejoin the rotation before the end of July.

Blanco tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings on Sunday in a Minor League rehab outing at Triple-A Sugar Land, throwing 68 pitches (44 strikes). Wesneski threw 4 2/3 rehab innings Saturday night for Sugar Land, striking out seven with no walks.

More reason for optimism.

“We’re right there in the race,” Espada said. “The way it started and where we are now, I’m proud of these players, I’m proud of this team. They’re resilient, they fight. I’ve asked a lot of these players and they continue to fight every day. We’re not going anywhere. We’ve got to fight.”

Then there’s the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. If the Astros are in the hunt, they’re likely to make at least one addition via a trade. Their biggest need remains adding a left-handed bat to the outfield, though a case can be made for upgrading the rotation and bullpen. The return of Blanco and Wesneski could satisfy the club’s starting pitching need, and relievers Bennett Sousa and Kai-Wei Teng could come off the IL immediately after the break.

On Sunday, the Astros scored three times in the seventh to tie game at 4, capped by a two-run single by Isaac Paredes after the Rangers chose to intentionally walk Alvarez with runners at first and second base. Cam Smith put the Astros ahead, 5-4, with a solo homer in the eighth, but the Rangers got a game-tying homer from Kyle Higashioka off Bryan King in the eighth and a walk-off single by Brandon Nimmo off Josh Hader in the ninth.

“Our biggest weapon as a team is reminding ourselves how good we are and how quickly we can put up runs,” Walker said. “I think that presents a certain calmness, certain confidence and I think it’s the truth. I don’t think we need to do anything extra, we don’t have to try too hard. I’ve said it all year, we’ve got to lean on each other and trust each other. This lineup is great, pitchers are great. We just have to trust it and have fun.”