Astros lose series to Royals, cement losing home record

HOUSTON -- No player appears more frustrated or upset by the Astros’ puzzling September slump than veteran third baseman Alex Bregman, who has known nothing but winning since reaching the big leagues in 2016. In each of his six full seasons prior to this year, Houston has advanced to at least the American League Championship Series, winning a pair of World Series.

Bregman, whose 86 postgame games played since the start of 2016 are tied with teammate Jose Altuve for the most in the Majors in that span, can’t fathom the thought of missing out on October. The Astros are still clinging to a playoff spot after losing to the Royals, 3-2, on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park, but dropping a second series to Kansas City in a span of 10 days is enough reason for exasperation.

“It feels like we’re playing terrible,” Bregman said. “That’s it. We’re not playing good.”

• Games remaining(7): vs. KC (1), at SEA (3), at AZ (3)
• Standings update: The Astros (85-70) are in second place in the AL West, 1 1/2 games behind the Rangers (86-68), who beat the Mariners on Friday. Houston leads Seattle (84-70) by a half-game both in the division and for the third AL Wild Card Spot. The Astros hold the season tiebreaker against the Rangers but not the Mariners.

Royals starter Jordan Lyles, who entered Saturday with 17 losses and a 6.43 ERA, held the Astros scoreless for five innings, and Kansas City’s bullpen held off a late charge to send Houston to its eighth loss in its past 11 games, including four to the Royals and two to the A’s -- a pair of 100-loss teams.

“We just couldn't barrel him up,” Bregman said of Lyles.

The loss dropped Houston 1 1/2 games behind first-place Texas in the AL West, but the club remained a half-game ahead of Seattle for the final AL Wild Card slot.

“It’s like Groundhog Day,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “We’re having trouble. We’re playing hard. They’re playing good ball, but we're having trouble pushing runs across -- hitting with runners in scoring position. When we do get them, we’re going to get a bunch of them for a period of time. I just feel that. We’re so close to breaking the game open. Just didn’t get it done.”

On Saturday, the Astros surpassed 3 million fans at Minute Maid Park this season, but they are ensured of having a losing record at home for the first time since 2014. They’re 39-41 at Minute Maid Park, having lost 16 of their past 22 games there. The last division winner to have a losing record at home was the 2001 Braves.

“It’s been weird. It’s been frustrating,” outfielder Chas McCormick said. “I’ve never been in this position before. Every team that's come to play us, they want to beat us badly, and we just don’t want it enough right now. We still have seven games left. If we can capitalize and win tomorrow, it would be huge. It has been surprising; it’s been a tough month, obviously, but you have to give credit to other teams.”

After taking the final two games of a three-game series from the Padres on Sept. 9-10, the Astros had opened up a 2 1/2-game lead in the division and were the favorites to win another AL West crown with nine games remaining against the A’s and the Royals. They’re 2-6 so far in those nine games, with one left against Kansas City on Sunday.

“I wouldn’t say [it’s] surprising,” Bregman said. “If you don’t play good, you’re not going to win. That’s basically it.”

McCormick led off the seventh inning with a Statcast-projected 418-foot solo homer off reliever Collin Snider. Then Kyle Tucker cut the lead to 3-2 with an RBI double in the eighth -- Houston’s only hit with runners in scoring position (1-for-7). The team is batting .200 (17-for-85) with runners in scoring position in its past eight games (2-6).

“If you don’t have opportunities, there’s no chance,” Baker said. “I’m a believer in my team and a believer that the cream rises to the top. We’re close.”

The Astros will close out their 2023 home slate on Sunday before ending the season with a six-game road trip that opens with a huge series beginning Monday in Seattle. Houston is 46-29 on the road this year, and Bregman expects his team to respond like one trying to defend a championship and desperate for another long October.

“I expect to play with fire, play with energy, play hard, prepare, leave it all out on the field,” he said. “That’s all you can do.”