Astros: Three players trending down despite a great home stand
![HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 23: Marwin Gonzalez #9 of the Houston Astros strikes out in the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Minute Maid Park on June 23, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_752,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fclimbingtalshill-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F982453944-850x560-21541abc613eb2dec6b35b23f5c6a32e.jpg)
The Astros have had themselves a great June despite some downward trends this past week.
The Astros entering Monday had a 52-27 record, including going 4-2 in this six-game span thus far. They are 16-5 in June having their 12 game win streak snapped last Tuesday. I guess it’s time to start another streak, right? They won their previous two games and play against the Toronto Blue Jays for three straight to finish off this nine-game homestand.
The team hasn’t cooled off one bit, in fact, they are starting to separate themselves in the AL West as they opened up a 4.5 game lead against the Mariners while keeping pace with the Red Sox and Yankees.
In their last six games, they have outscored their opponents 26-14 including an eleven run outburst in Sundays win versus the Royals. As always, while the team is heating up, some bats have cooled down a bit. Let’s see who’s trending down this week.
Trending Down: Marwin Gonzalez
Just last week, Gonzalez found himself on the top spot of the trending up list. This week, on the other hand, no bat has been cooler than his. In the past week, he has played in 5 games seeing 15 at-bats. Gonzalez managed just one hit. In this span, he is averaging just a measly .067 batting average. He also tallied eight strikeouts in this frame and took four walks. The single hit came on June 18th and has been hitless in four straight games.
This performance is coming off the heels of a great week where he went 9-17. The super utility player is irreplaceable though, his defense still shines and he will have these up and down weeks all season. We’re just hoping he trends more on the other list. Not this one so much.
Trending Down: Alex Bregman
Bregman has seen 24 at-bats in his last six games connecting on just four of them. That’s good for a .167 batting average. He is now a .259 hitter on the season. He did have one home run on June 20th. On the bright side, Bregman has driven in five runs, so he’s contributed despite the little offensive production this week.
It’s overshadowed when the team is winning and its subtle performances like this that add marks in the win column. It’s just something to keep an eye on in the coming days. Another thing to keep an eye on is his in-game manscaping shaving off his mustache in-between innings. If he was doing it for luck, luck wasn’t on his side. He ended up the day going 0-4. Was it superstition? We have no clue. Maybe it will bring him luck starting tonight as he faces the Blue Jays for three straight where he is a career .226 against them in thirteen games.
Trending Down: George Springer
This one is odd. I never thought Springer could be on this list two weeks in a row. But here we are finding his name on the wrong side of trends. It amazes me how deep this roster is as they manufacture wins despite one of their best players having two off weeks in a row.
Next: Astros: Three players trending up as the homestand continues
Last week, Springer was 3-23 and this week he has seen twenty-one at-bats managing just two hits. He did have a solo shot on June 20th. Springer has struck out five times in the last six outings but has been on base taking six walks. He did score three runs but these recent struggles are definitely something to watch. His batting average slowly dips to .269, the lowest its been since early May.