Astros go to all-star break in 2nd place

HOUSTON -- With the all-star break upon us, the Houston Astros sit atop the American League West and second in the entire junior circuit. Even though the Astros have had a stellar first half of the year, manager AJ Hinch is more proud of how his team has handled the slew of injuries that have plagued the ball club this season.
““Our perseverance through a lot of injuries that were unexpected has been something I’m very proud of,” Hinch said. “In my seat you always wish for more wins, and you feel you should have won some more games. But I’m proud of our guys for staying focused and keeping in perspective how long the season is, and what everybody has had to do when some guys got hurt.”
At one point in the season, Houston has had seven players on the disabled list, including stars like Jose Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa.
Even with that, the Astros are currently 57-33, seven and a half games ahead of the Oakland A’s in the American League West. Houston is also only percentage points out of the top spot in all of the American League, trailing only the New York Yankees who have a .648 winning percentage and an overall record of 57-31. The Astros’ winning percentage stands at .633.
Playing at home has been a huge positive for Houston, as they sport a 33-14 record in Minute Maid Park, as opposed to a 24-19 record on the road. The Astros were 7-3 in their last 10 games leading up to the all-star break.
One constant for Houston this season is the play of former LSU star Alex Bregman. The all-star third baseman is hitting .264 on the year with 23 home runs and 56 RBI. Bregman has a fielding percentage of .969 with only two errors so far.
The Astros will continue season play today when they travel to Arlington to take on the Rangers.