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07/13/2005 10:00 AM ET<br>
By Alyson Footer / MLB.com<br>
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HOUSTON -- What a difference a month makes.<br>
On May 24, the Astros were 15 games under .500 and reporters and fans in Houston were looking for new and innovative ways to say "train wreck." The club was on a frightening pace to shatter the club record for shutouts in a single season, and it appeared all of the terrific starting pitching was going to go to waste because of a young, inexperienced lineup void of several strong run producers from the 2004 club.<br>
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But lo and behold, the Astros are not yet dead. An incredible run beginning in June pushed the Astros out of their last-place position in the National League Central Division standings, and suddenly, they're legitimate contenders for the Wild Card. <br>
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As bad as the Astros were in April and May, they're close to having the same record the '04 club had at the break. Last year, the Astros were 44-44 in the first half, a disappointing mark for a team that was expected to run away with the NL Central title. Expectations for the '05 Astros were nowhere near as lofty, so anything they're doing now is a bonus. <br>
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Manager Phil Garner, excitable by nature, is doing his best to take this process one day at a time.<br>
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"What we don't want to do is start to get ahead of ourselves and think about results," he said. "What we need to do, the first battle, is the fight with ourselves. We have to get to be a .500 team, and at that point we can start to look to see who's immediately ahead of us."<br>
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Club MVP: Morgan Ensberg. The club always envisioned this kind of run production from their third baseman when Ensberg was making his ascent through the Minor Leagues, but no one could have anticipated such a dramatic outburst in such a small stretch of time. Ensberg is at or near the top of every offensive category among Major League third basemen, and in turn, the Astros finally have a reliable cleanup hitter. <br>
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Call him 'Ace': It's a tossup between Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt, but Clemens probably has the edge because of one mind-boggling stat. <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Clemens allowed one earned run on the road in the entire first half of the season. One run. And it was a solo homer in Colorado that might have died at the warning track in another ballpark.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--> <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :omg --><img src=http://www.sahoops.net/smilies/omg.gif ALT=":omg"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :omg --><img src=http://www.sahoops.net/smilies/omg.gif ALT=":omg"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :omg --><img src=http://www.sahoops.net/smilies/omg.gif ALT=":omg"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
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Greatest strength: Just about everything about the Astros was terrible in April and May -- except for their starting pitching. With Clemens, Oswalt and Pettitte anchoring the rotation, the Astros knew they still had a chance, regardless of how far they sunk in the standings. It appears they may have been right.<br>
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Biggest problem: The offense has improved, but it's still considered the club's biggest weakness. The hole the club dug itself into in April and May is entirely the hitters' fault, and now it's up to them to get the Astros out of it. The club is showing improvement in situational hitting rather than relying only on home runs. And as the young players continue to get more comfortable at the plate, run production should not be the problem it was in the first half.<br>
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Biggest surprise: Willy Taveras. He has a lot to learn both in the field and at the plate, but Taveras should be commended for what he's done after making the jump from Double-A to the Major Leagues. The lightning-fast center fielder makes up for his inexperience with his ability to get on base via bunt singles and infield hits.<br>
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Team needs: Offense. This team is one 30-homer left fielder away from being very, very interesting. The Astros are looking to add a bat by the trade deadline, which would immediately increase their chances to contend for the Wild Card. The offense isn't in the disarray it was early in the season, but the Astros do need a boost at the plate. <br>
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Complete coverage > Oh, doctor: Jeff Bagwell had surgery on his right shoulder in early June and hopes to play in September, but 2006 is a more realistic return date. The surgery released the tendons surrounding Bagwell's degenerative shoulder, which should give him more range of motion.<br>
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He said it: "We've been playing good ball, but we still have work to do. We've come a long way, but we're not where we want to be yet. This is just the first step of it. We've got to get back to .500 and then from that point, we've got to continue to play good ball to stay ahead." -- Garner<br>
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Mark your calendar: The Astros begin the second half with a lengthy three-city road trip that includes stops in St. Louis (July 15-17), Pittsburgh (July 18-20) and Washington (July 21-24). In the first 2 1/2 weeks after the break, the Astros play two first-place teams (Cards and Nats) and two that are teetering around the .500 mark (Mets, Phillies). This will be a crucial time for the Astros.<br>
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Fearless second-half prediction: The Astros will contend for the Wild Card, but they won't be able to overtake the Braves, who will win the fourth playoff spot by two games.<br>
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This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.<br>
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