Houston Astros: Three nightmare opponents during first half
By Kyle Cardoza
The Houston Astros again boast one of the best records in the MLB. But they struggled against a few teams throughout the first half. Some are understandable, while others are more surprising.
The Houston Astros own one of the best records in the MLB. But that doesn’t mean every opponent they’ve faced has been a pushover.
It just seems like it, especially against some of the American League West teams.
However, multiple teams gave Houston trouble during their games throughout the first half. And some of them are essentially a surprise. One is not a surprise at all.
Nevertheless, the success thus far overshadows the team’s struggles. Although, the Astros endured their longest losing streak prior to Tuesday night’s victory.
Houston bullied lower-tier teams throughout the first 81 games, as they should. The Astros own a 29-9 record against teams currently below .500. Of course, all of those teams weren’t sub-.500 when they faced Houston.
The Astros pieced together a historic year in 2017, reaching the millennium mark for the second time in team history. And they look poised to reach that mark again this year.
A significant reason for their success is their dominance away from Minute Maid Park. Houston owned a subpar 33-48 record on the road in 2015. Since then, it has gradually gotten better on the road.
Last year, the Astros sported a better record in away games than home games. That trend has continued throughout 2018.
Moreover, Houston also owns the best run differential by a large margin. That, once again, is connected to the team’s frequent triumphs against substandard teams.
Nevertheless, it could be much more substantial if it weren’t for a few teams in the league.