The Houston Astros are slumping at the worst possible time. Less than three weeks ago, Houston had a 3.5-game lead in the AL West and appeared certain to reach the playoffs for the ninth-straight season. But after getting shut out by the Athletics Wednesday, the Astros have lost five-straight games, including a sweep by the Seattle Mariners.
The red-hot Mariners surpassed the Astros to clinch the AL West for the first time in 24 years. Now Houston is on the outside looking in.
The harsh reality is not lost on Carlos Correa. The veteran infielder discussed the team’s situation following Wednesday’s loss.
“Have we got to win every game? Yeah, definitely. That’s what we gotta do with the situation we’re in. Behind in the tie-breakers and with four games left, we’ve gotta go all out,” Correa acknowledged, per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart.
Slumping Astros face grim postseason reality
The Astros have lost 10 of the last 17 games. Meanwhile the Mariners won 16 of their last 17 contests as the Seattle edged out Houston for the division crown.
The Astros are still alive but the situation is dire. The team is one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the final AL Wild Card berth and three games behind the Boston Red Sox. But Houston doesn't have the benefit of the tie-breaker against any of the teams that remain in contention.
“It’s not been our best baseball. That’s for sure. And I’m sure our fans are frustrated. We’re very frustrated with the way we’ve been playing. It’s not over yet so we gotta keep fighting. We’ve gotta keep fighting all the way till the end and we’re gonna do just that,” Correa said.
“You never want to hit this funk this late in the season when games matter so much. So we’ve gotta pick each other up tomorrow. And we’ve gotta go out there and get the win no matter what. That’s the mentality. It’s a Game 7 mentality tomorrow and every single game from now on,” Correa added.
Luis Severino had his best outing of the season against the Astros Wednesday. The veteran starter allowed just three hits and one walk while striking out five batters in 6.1 scoreless innings. Houston’s lineup couldn’t get anything going against the A’s bullpen either, as the team was shut out.
The Astros will send Framber Valdez to the mound for the series finale against the Athletics Thursday. Houston then closes the regular season with a three-game set against the Angels in Los Angeles.
