Astros' Woes Persist as Cubs Triumph

The Houston Astros’ struggles continue to mount as they suffered a 7-2 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night. The loss drops the Astros to a dismal 7-17 record, the first time they’ve been 10 games under .500 since May 2016.

For veteran second baseman Jose Altuve, the sight of Wrigley Field was a familiar one, as he was the only Astros player in the lineup who was there the last time the team visited, back in 2013. That was a vastly different era for the Astros, who were in the midst of a rebuild and on their way to a franchise-worst 111 losses in their inaugural American League season.

How times have changed. The Astros have since become a powerhouse, making seven consecutive trips to the ALCS, winning four AL pennants and two World Series titles. It was only last year that they were one home win away from reaching their fifth Fall Classic in less than a decade.

“I know we’ve been losing a lot, but I keep my word when I said if we come one day and we execute with men in scoring position and score some runs, I think we’re going to create some momentum and start winning a lot,” Altuve said after the game.

The Astros’ struggles have been particularly acute early in games, having been outscored 26-15 in the first inning this season. Tuesday’s contest was no exception, as starter J.P. France gave up five runs in the opening frame, including a two-run homer by Cody Bellinger and a three-run shot by Mike Tauchman.

“It’s hard because then you find yourself trying to do too much from the get-go, trying to establish your offense or get some at-bats going, trying to get a few runs early in the game,” first-year manager Joe Espada said. “It’s tough when you’re down five, down four, down three. It just makes it tougher, but we’ve got to find a way.”

The Astros’ offense has struggled to come back from early deficits, managing just two come-from-behind wins this season. Yainer Diaz’s RBI double in the fourth inning and Jake Meyers’ solo homer in the fifth were the only bright spots, as the Astros managed just one hit in the final four innings.

Even the return to Chicago did little to spark slugger Jose Abreu, who went 0-for-3 to drop his average to .065. Alex Bregman also extended his hitless streak to 16 at-bats, going 0-for-4 in the cleanup spot.

Despite the team’s difficulties, Altuve and Bregman remain confident that the Astros can turn things around. Altuve reiterated his belief in the team’s ability to go on a hot streak and get back to their winning ways.

“Like I always say, in good moments we have stretches where we win eight of 10 and I say we have a great team,” Altuve said. “I’m going to say the same thing right now. We have great players and we have guys that are encouraging each other to win games. We still have that team. One game at a time, but I think we can start a good stretch where we can win a lot of games and go back to normal.”

With 138 games remaining on their schedule, the Astros have plenty of time to right the ship and reclaim their status as one of the league’s elite teams. But the clock is ticking, and the players’ words will start to ring hollow if they can’t turn things around soon.