Houston Astros Win 2-0, Eyeing .500 Mark Before All-Star Break

The Houston Astros won 2-0 against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 5, with manager Joe Espada aiming for a .500 record before the All-Star break.

What's the goal for Houston Astros?

Joe Espada wants his team to reach the .500 mark, saying "let's get to .500 baseball" to stay in the mix and make their move.

The Astros have been inconsistent early in the 2026 campaign but are now looking like serious contenders.

How did the Astros perform against the Rays?

They played clean baseball, with Walker and Paredes hitting two big homers, and the bullpen doing a tremendous job.

The Astros' pitching was strong, allowing them to bounce back and win the series.

What's next for the Houston Astros?

The team will head to the West Coast to face the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, starting on July 6.

The Astros are currently 7th in the American League with a 45-47 record, on a W2 streak, and will look to continue their momentum.

The Nationals are second-to-last in the National League East division with a 46-45 overall record.

And the Astros have a good chance of winning the series, given their recent performance.

But the Nationals will be looking to bounce back from their 11-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

So the series will be an interesting matchup between the two teams.

The Astros' record of 45-47 allows them to sit atop the Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West standings.

However, they are just below the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners.

The team's goal is to win series and stay in the mix, with Espada saying "we know how to do that".

The Astros have several series wins under their belt, including their latest against the Rays.

And they will look to continue this trend against the Nationals.

The team's performance has been improving, with a positive shift underway.

Brian McTaggart of MLB.com drew a parallel between the 2005 Astros and the 2026 Astros, both of which experienced rough patches at the beginning of their seasons.

The 2005 Astros reached the World Series, where they faced the Chicago White Sox, and Espada may be eyeing a similar trajectory.

The Astros' momentum could help them climb in the American League West standings.