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The Houston Astros hit a new low this weekend, being swept by the Seattle Mariners as the final week of the regular season has arrived. The Mariners now have a commanding three-game lead in the American League West, and the Astros' collapse has suddenly forced fans to fear that there may not be playoff baseball in Houston this year.
It's been an odd season for the Astros as they seemingly were ready to use the 2025 season to reset after an offseason where Alex Bregman signed with the Boston Red Sox and Kyle Tucker was traded to the Chicago Cubs., Still, during the first half of the season, there were stretches where the Astros flirted with the idea of being the best team in the American League, but that certainly hasn't been the case during the second half.
The Astros were 13-15 in August, and entered the final week of the season with a .500 record in September. Houston enters the day tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot, but considering the Guardians are winners of 9 of their last 10 games, that isn't the company that the Astros want to be keeping.
This Astros collapse might be the beginning of the end for Joe Espada
If the Astros miss the playoffs, there will almost certainly be a fall guy for the collapse. It would be easy to point the finger at the Astros' medical staff, considering the laundry list of injuries the team has dealt with since the start of the season. Yes, injuries are a part of every season, but the level at which they have happened with the Astros, along with the questionable recovery plans, has raised eyebrows.
The blame game may not stop there. Espada almost certainly will feel his seat get warmer if the Astros miss the playoffs. It's hard to envision a scenario where the Astros would be eager to move on from Espada after this season, but for a team that has looked lifeless for much of the last two months, it's a conversation that feels inevitable.