Astros Skipper Says 'Watch Out' as Superstar Third Baseman Finds His Swing

It was only a matter of time before the Houston Astros got one of their superstars back to being his usual self, and now this offense seems poised to explode.

Aug 11, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (2) runs out the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning at Fenway Park / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Much like last year, it seems like the Houston Astros will be in yet another battle coming down the stretch to win the AL West title.

In 2023, it took until the last day of the season to decided who would be named division champions, and based on how things have played out so far in this campaign, it would not be surprising to see something similar happen.

One thing the Astros could have turning in their favor is that their star-studded lineup is starting to heat up.

Sunday was just the latest example as they bludgeoned the Boston Red Sox 10-2 to pull off a road sweep and their second series win in a row. The offense looked familiar with three blasts that accounted for five of their runs, and the others coming as a result of situational hitting and smart baserunning.

In their last seven games, they've averaged 5.14 runs per game, and maybe it's not a coincidence that their superstar Alex Bregman has started heating up at the plate during this same time, going 12-for-31 with three homers, six extra-base hits and six RBI.

Houston's manager Joe Espada knows what it means for their offense when Bregman is hitting, and it sounds like he thinks the output is just getting started.

"He's starting to get into a groove. And we always see him late in the season, August, September -- those are months that Breggy loves. And he's found his swing. You get Yordan [Alvarez] behind him, and [Yainer] Diaz getting some big hits if they're going to intentionally walk Alvarez? Watch out," he said per Molly Burkhardt of MLB.com.

That's always been the scary thing about this lineup when they are performing well.

As they have shown throughout this dynastic run, there are multiple ways this lineup can attack opposing pitching staffs no matter who is up at the plate.

But when Bregman is playing at the top of his game, that opens everything up for the Astros.

Slotted behind Jose Altuve who is one of the most dangerous hitters the game has ever seen, Bregman provides the ability to bring him home with the long ball or an extra-base hit. And once they strike early, it's hard to shut down this lineup, especially when Yordan Alvarez is playing the way he is right now.

Still, in the past there have been moments throughout the season where everyone could specifically point to the moment when Houston was getting ready to take off and start stacking wins.

That hasn't really happened this year outside of their late push before the All-Star break that put them back in contention for the AL West crown.

Maybe that surge is coming now.

With Bregman hitting the way he has been recently, that could be the catalyst.