As they returned to Dodger Stadium for the third time since winning the 2017 World Series, the Houston Astros received the standard treatment: Boos and cries of trash-can banging and media harrumphing.
And while the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed the three-game series, no amount of revenge will return that trophy to the Dodgers, who were victimized by the Astros’ illicit sign-stealing scheme that year. Yet six years later, Astros haters might have to satisfy themselves with this:
For the first time since winning that World Series, the Astros are not running away with a playoff berth.
Their misadventure in LA − including blowing a 7-3 lead in the last two innings Saturday − left them 42-36 through 78 games, by far their worst performance at that juncture since winning five consecutive full-season AL West titles.
In 2017 and 2022 – World Series championship seasons – the Astros had through 78 games built 12 1/2- and 13 1/2-game leads, respectively, and in those five seasons won between 48 and 52 games by now. Not once in that stretch did they relinquish first place from this point on − twice they were pulled into first-place ties in August 2018 − and they advanced to at least the AL Championship Series every year.
This season? Not that simple.
The first-place Texas Rangers have staying power, building a 5 1/2-game lead on Houston and impervious to Jacob deGrom’s absence. Three AL East teams occupy the wild-card slots at the moment and even the Los Angeles Angels have bobbed to the surface as another team the Astros must outplay.
Sure, the Astros will be in the wild-card mix probably all season. They may have a window to run down the Rangers, even. Yet in a season where pitchers Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. suffered season-ending injuries, after owner Jim Crane failed to adequately replace Cy Young winner Justin Verlander and placed a big bet on slugger Jose Abreu (adjusted OPS: 65), the Astros are more vulnerable than when they started this run.
They’ve dropped to 12th in USA TODAY Sports’ power rankings, tumbling four spots in two weeks amid a 9-13 June performance.
A look at this week’s rankings:
3. Texas Rangers (-1)
6. Los Angeles Dodgers (-)
10. Los Angeles Angels (-3)
12. Houston Astros (-1)
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Corbin Burnes’ strikeouts per nine innings down to 8.49, from 12.61 in his Cy Young-winning 2021 season.
18. San Diego Padres (-)
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After three games with Nationals, face Rays, Giants, Astros heading into All-Star break.
27. Washington Nationals (-)
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB power rankings: Houston Astros fall back to pack in AL West