𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

HOUSTON — On the day they demoted a prized offseason acquisition, deployed a lineup in which the final five hitters boasted a .670 OPS, and discussed different avenues to address myriad deficiencies, the Houston Astros found themselves in first place. Getting there defied logic and demanded resilience, traits that have defined this club during a chaotic season.

“They just come to work every day with the right attitude, right mindset,” manager Joe Espada said. “They’re tough. They stay together.”

It is a cliché explanation, but few other ones feel effective. Houston has used a major-league high 15 starting pitchers, runs out one of baseball’s worst-performing offensive outfields and has the highest ERA of any starting rotation in the American League. Even after a nine-run victory on Friday night, the Astros still have a minus-32 run differential.

Of the four American League teams with a worse one, three reside in last place in their division and are at least 15 games below .500. With its win on Friday, Houston moved above .500 for the first time since April 6.

On May 20, Houston sat 11 games under .500. No American League team has a better winning percentage in the 72 days since, a stretch in which the Astros have gone 36-24 and altered the narrative around a season with so much at stake.

“I’m just proud of our effort,” said Espada, who along with general manager Dana Brown is in the last season of his contract. “There’s still baseball, but we’re pausing and reminding them, ‘We’ve worked really hard to get to this point, but we have to come back here tomorrow and do it again and continue to do that.’ How far we’ve come, I’m extremely proud of our team.”

Prizes are not awarded for leading a division on Aug. 1, though two did arrive on Friday night. One is far more meaningful than the other. By bludgeoning the Texas Rangers, 11-2, the Astros secured the regular-season series over their intrastate rival and now own the tiebreaker. Bear in mind, Houston missed the postseason last year because it did not own a tiebreaker over the Detroit Tigers.

Friday also ensured the Silver Boot trophy will remain in the Astros’ possession, a fact that flashed on the Daikin Park scoreboard following the game.

“Does it exist?” asked ace Hunter Brown, who tamed Texas across 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball. “Is there a real trophy?”

It does exist, and it sits inside the Astros’ team store, but Brown and his teammates may seek a more recognizable prize. Standards in this franchise are far higher — and for the first time all season, this club is playing like one that can reach them. Playing in the pedestrian American League helps.

“This team has battled very hard to get back to this position,” shortstop Jeremy Peña said. “This is not time to let off the gas. It’s time to keep playing ball. There’s a lot of season left. We know what can happen in two months. We have to keep going and play good baseball.”

Peña is one of just three active Astros position players worth more than two wins above replacement, according to both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference. He has been on the injured list twice and appeared in just 63 games.

Houston is 36-27 in those games and 20-28 in all the others, underscoring what Peña’s mere presence means to a team without much depth behind him. Triple Crown candidate Yordan Alvarez, who reached base four times on Friday, is the front-runner for the American League MVP. Third baseman Isaac Paredes upped his OPS to .780 with a two-hit game.

Adding more thump around those three is Brown’s foremost goal before Monday’s trade deadline. Acquiring pitching would be prudent, too, but it’s worth wondering if Houston has enough financial or prospect capital to make so many additions.

The one man who can answer that watched Friday’s performance firsthand. Owner Jim Crane spent most of the middle innings in separate huddles with assistant general managers Connor Huff and Gavin Dickey.

Crane has cemented himself as one of the trade deadline’s most aggressive owners. He authorized deals for Zack Greinke, twice did so for Justin Verlander and, last July, authored a reunion with franchise icon Carlos Correa. Crane is known to splurge when Houston has a chance at a championship.

Friday, his team proved it has put itself in that conversation.