The Houston Astros pulled off a 2-0 shutout over the leaders of the AL East on Sunday.
With another victory added to their resume, manager Joe Espada is planning to set a new challenge for his ballclub.
Astros’ Joe Espada Sets Clear Goal for Franchise
GettyManager Joe Espada of the Houston Astros set a strong goal for the ballclub ahead of the All-Star break
As reported by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Espada is pushing his club to hit the .500 mark before the All-Star break.
“Right before the All-Star break. I’m going to challenge our team and that should be our goal, let’s get to .500 baseball,” said Espada. “There’s a ton of teams right here in the mix. I just want us to stay in the mix and make our move. We know how to do that. We need to continue to play clean ball, win series. We’re playing our best. We’ve just got to not get content, not get complacent and just continue good baseball.”
Early on in Houston’s 2026 campaign, they struggled with consistency.
But now, they’re looking like they could be serious contenders.
McTaggart drew a strong, but possible, parallel between the 2005 Astros and the 2026 Astros.
Both teams experienced rough patches at the beginning of their seasons, but a positive shift is underway.
In 2005, Houston reached the World Series, where they faced the Chicago White Sox.
Although the Astros ultimately faced a heartbreaking loss, their run to the Fall Classic was nothing short of remarkable.
McTaggart notes that perhaps Espada is eyeing a similar trajectory by aiming for a .500 at this time.
They now have several series wins under their belt, their latest being against the Rays.
“We played really clean baseball and you have to against that team,” Espada added. “They do a lot of small things and they do it very well and [playing clean] starts with pitching. We pitched well today and our bullpen did a tremendous job. Walker and Paredes hit two big homers… Our goal continues to be [to] win series, and we were able to bounce back and do that.”
With this level of momentum, the Astros could find themselves climbing in the American League West.
Where the Astros Stand Right Now
GettyJoe Espada of the Houston Astros set a lofty goal for his ballclub
Looking at the AL West standings, Houston comes in at third.
Their overall record of 45-47 allows them to sit atop the Athletics (41-49) and the Los Angeles Angels (36-54).
However, they are just below the Texas Rangers (45-45) and the Seattle Mariners (47-44).
With the Astros-Rays series now over, Houston will head to the West Coast to take on the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.
This three-game series will begin on Monday, July 6, at 6:45 p.m. ET.
For reference, the Nationals are currently second-to-last in the National League East division.
They are riding a 46-45 overall record and are coming off an unsightly 11-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
The Astros have been faring quite well in recent weeks, so it wouldn’t be too far-fetched for Houston fans to expect a series victory over Washington this week.
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