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Astros tie unfortunate 40-year-old team history after shutout loss

With the MLB season closing in on its completion, the Houston Astros, sitting atop the AL West, are looking to win the division once again. But while the Seattle Mariners are struggling, so too are the Astros.

Houston, facing the Detroit Tigers in a three-game set in Detroit, was shut out in game one and once again shut out in game two. These two shutout losses contributed to some unfortunate team history.

As Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle outlined, these back-to-back shutout losses, combined with a shutout loss to the Baltimore Orioles right before the Tigers series, match the Astros' team history not seen since 1985.

Astros Set Shutout Streak

Houston, for the first time since 1985, 40 years ago, has lost three straight games where they were shut out. Three straight games scoring zero runs is a tough look for the Astros, especially as they try to put distance between themselves and the Mariners.

In this span, the Astros have lost by a cumulative 23 runs. The Orioles' loss was a 12-0 clubbing, and the first game of the Tigers series had the Astros fall 10-0.

The game that had the Astros match their 1985 shutout streak was a 1-0 heartbreaking loss to the Tigers in a pitchers' duel. Houston had ace Hunter Brown go six scoreless innings, while Tarik Skubal of the Tigers further strengthened his Cy Young case.

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While the Astros won 5-4 in extra innings against the Orioles over the weekend, the game right before was another shutout, a 7-0 loss in which the Orioles starter was only four outs from a perfect game.

The offensive production in Houston lately has been terrible. Getting shut out in three straight games for the first time since 1985 is a tough look for a team vying for a top spot in the American League.

Fortunately, the Mariners haven't done well during this same stretch, so the Astros remain 1.5 games up heading into Wednesday. But the offense needs to turn things around if Houston wants to make a deep postseason run.