Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve. MLB, Cardinals, Mets Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
As the MLB season churns toward the Memorial Day milestone, let’s take a look at three teams that seem to have put it together in recent games and two that are going in the opposite direction.
For many, Memorial Day is not only a day off from work and a way to remember those who have given their lives for our country, but also a litmus test in the 162-game MLB regular season. By the time the last Monday of May rolls around, the “it’s still early” card just doesn’t fly as teams will have passed the 50-game marker, meaning almost one-third of the regular season is done.
With that in mind, which teams are cruising over the last week and which ones are stumbling? For this article, I will look beyond the top of the divisions where teams like the Texas Rangers, who recorded a weekend sweep over the Colorado Rockies in impressive fashion, outscoring them 31-10 inside Globe Life Field, continue to flex their muscles.
MLB stock report: Houston Astros going up
While the Rangers were cooking this weekend, the Astros were doing the same, posting a home sweep over the Oakland A’s to move to 9-1 over their last 10 outings.
There is plenty of reason for optimism in south Texas as Jose Altuve has returned from his fractured thumb suffered in the World Baseball Classic and lengthened the Houston lineup. His RBI single on Sunday helped jumpstart the Houston offense to complete the sweep against Oakland.
Houston now heads out for a road trip through Milwaukee and Oakland before returning home to face the American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins. If the Astros can keep the momentum going from their past 10 games on the road trip, the Rangers are going to feel the heat to stay on top of the AL West.