Inside Minute Maid Park on Tuesday night, the Houston Astros celebrated their seventh AL West title in the last eight seasons. Coincidentally, they clinched the title against the Seattle Mariners, whom they had been chasing for much of the season due to a poor start.
On June 18, the Astros were 10 games behind the Mariners but managed to tie for first place by mid-July. Following a series of ups and downs, Houston took sole possession of the division lead on August 12 and has remained there since, ensuring that a similar collapse won’t occur this time.
Despite facing a significant deficit in the standings and dealing with numerous injuries, the Astros maintained their confidence. First-year manager Joe Espada continually reassured the team that they were still contenders.
“‘We got this,’” he recalled saying to the players, according to The Associated Press. “‘We are a good team. We’ve just got to go on a hot streak and we’ll turn this around.’”
“I never lost hope,” Espada expressed. “But when it comes to winning, if you know how to win and have the right ingredients, you’ve got to protect that, and that’s what we’ve done.”
Over the past decade, few teams have demonstrated a greater ability to win than the Astros. 2024 marks their eighth consecutive trip to the MLB playoffs. Houston has reached the ALCS for seven straight seasons, securing four American League pennants and two World Series titles.
After a remarkable turnaround in just three months, the Astros have another opportunity to enhance their trophy case.
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