The second month of the season has come to a close, and it was a good one for many teams, especially the Astros. The Houston Astros ended the month of May with a 31-18 record, going 22-8 during the month. The Astros were great; they had an incredible 12-game wins streak during May, Jose Altuve put up MVP-like numbers, and Jeremy Pena showed why he’s worthy of the shortstop position. Here’s a more in-depth look at the month of May and what to expect in the coming months.
Offensive Struggles
The offense should be putting up more runs per game for a lineup as stacked as the Astros, but sometimes that isn’t the case. We’ve seen what the Astros offense is capable of, and early in the month, they were producing, but as the month progressed, the offense slowly started to regress. Although it’s something to think about, it’s nothing to panic over because the pitching has been controlling games for the offense.
Players like Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena, and Yordan Alvarez have been the leading cause of the offensive success, with Altuve and Pena hitting over .300 during May. The rest of the lineup can produce, but the inconsistency could end up being the cause for a playoff exit.
With four months left in the season, the offense will eventually come around and will hopefully hit their stride and go on some winning streaks like the 12-game streak earlier in the month.
Pitching
The Astros pitching staff is perhaps one of the best in the league. With veteran Justin Verlander dominating on the mound with just one bad start thus far this season and younger guys like Framber Valdez and Luis Garica, who’ve taken a no-hitter into the sixth inning, this staff is set for big things. Jake Odorizzi made up for his poor start in April by becoming an all-star level pitcher before suffering an injury that currently has him sidelined.
Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garica, and Cristian Javier have all done very well and have held their own alongside an all-time great in Justin Verlander. For May, the Astros team ERA was an astonishing 2.84 behind only the Dodgers.
The bullpen has been phenomenal; it’s almost impossible to scratch any runs across when the relievers come in. Hector Neris and Rafael Montero have continued to dominate, with other guys like Phil Maton and Ryan Pressly having progressed and gotten better over time. The Astros bullpen ERA is also outstanding, coming in at 2.40, which leads the majors.
A look ahead
The Astros schedule in June isn’t too difficult, with the only two teams they play in June that are good, the Mets and Yankees. Aside from those two, the Astros shouldn’t have any problems as far as scheduling. The series against the Mets and Yankees should be fun, but the Astros are resilient and can handle a challenge.
As long as the pitching stays consistent and the offense comes around, the Astros will continue to dominate in June.
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