The situation could be a lot worse with the Astros but the rebuilding process is going smoothly so far. That's why being 9 1/2 games out of contention for first place of the division is OK in Houston, because Astros fans are just happy to see the team score runs and have decent outings on the mound.
The Astros have been doing that in their past couple of games, albeit against the Cleveland Indians, who managed to get outscored by more than any team in the American League aside from the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals.
Perhaps if the Astros were in the AL Central, instead of heading to the AL West next year, they could rupture the competitive balance as we know it.
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