The NL Central was a bit more competitive just two weeks ago, but that was before the Houston Astros stopped surprising everyone and returned to preseason expectations with their current 8 game winning streak. Brad Mills is hoping he can help stop the streak today against the Cincinnati Reds, who lead the division, but that's going to take a strong outing from Jordan Lyles to do so.
The 'Stros currently sit at 22-31, just above the Chicago Cubs in the Central. They're still only 8.5 games back in early June, which is hardly a death knell, but the team has made it clear that they are building for the long haul. Expect Jeff Luhnow to sell off veteran parts and for the rest of the season to be a bit rough. Here's the current NL Central standings:
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