Astros make remarkable run after rough start

HOUSTON — Big expectations quickly turned into disappointment when the Astros — picked by most to make the postseason, and by some to go to the World Series — stumbled out of the gate. They righted the ship in time to zoom up the standings throughout the summer, before falling short in the final week of the season.

The fact that the Astros were even in contention entering the final week was surprising after their 17-28 start, the underperformance of several key players, including 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel and outfielders Carlos Gomez and Colby Rasmus, the injuries that wreaked havoc on them in the second half and the fact they didn’t make a move at the Aug.1 non-waiver Trade Deadline.

Credit goes to Astros manager A.J. Hinch, who mixed and matched a tired bullpen down the stretch, pieced together the rotation and navigated his way around injuries. Rookies Yulieski Gurriel and Alex Bregman were huge additions to the offense, but ultimately, the Astros’ lineup wasn’t long enough for much of the season.

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A strong bullpen struggled and likely tired in September, throwing the most innings by any relief corps in baseball in the month, after a short-handed starting rotation had trouble getting through five innings. Still, the Astros’ young core — led by Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer, Bregman and pitcher Lance McCullers — is in place, and their performances this year provided hope amid the overall disappointment.

Record: 84-78, third place, American League West

Defining moment: After overcoming a 7-17 April, the Astros scratched and clawed to get back into the postseason picture and were only 2 1/2 games behind the Rangers in the division after beating the Yankees on July 27. They lost nine of their next 11 games, including a 2-7 homestand against Toronto and Texas, averaging only 2.2 runs per game in the process. The Astros dropped six games in the division standings in that span and never came close to the Rangers again.

What went right: Altuve went from one of the best second basemen in the game to one of the best players, making a run at his first AL Most Valuable Player Award en route to his second batting title in three years. He added power and set career highs in home runs and RBIs, turning him into an …

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