The Astros came back to beat the Cardinals tonight. Theyre now 27-34, seven games below .500 and as many back of the Mariners in the AL West. Houston has yet to fire on all cylinders as they seek an Brooks Kriske Jersey eighth straight trip to the AL Championship Series; theyve yet to climb above .500 after starting the season with a four-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees. Even as the team has floundered, general manager Dana Brown has painted an optimistic picture in his public comments. Brown told the MLB Network on that he couldnt envision selling at the deadline. He doubled down on that a sertion before tonights win. I dont see any scenario where were sellers , the GM told the Houston beat ( ). I think were going to be buyers . On the one hand, its not surprising that Brown reiterated the stance he expre sed a month ago. Even if the front office were privately beginning to consider selling scenarios, its far enough from the deadline that Brown is unlikely to publicly declare as much. Houston has a veteran roster that certainly entered the season with championship aspirations. That said, the Astros havent done much to change their fortunes in the four weeks since Browns last declaration. Houston held a 12-22 record heading into play on May 7, placing them seven games back in the division. Theyve been better over the past month, going 15-12 over their last 27 contests, but it hasnt been the kind of resounding play theyll need to eventually pull out from the hole they dug with a terrible April. Houstons division deficit hasnt changed in the last four weeks (though Seattle has jumped the Rangers for the top spot). The upcoming few weeks could offer that opportunity. Houston has series against the Angels, White Sox, Rockies and Mets in June. They also have two more against St. Louis and three games apiece with the Giants, Tigers and Orioles. Asked whether a poor performance over the next six to eight weeks could force the Astros to sell, Brown said the team would have to really fall apart to change direction. The pitching would have to be struggling. The hitters would have to be struggling. If theres any sign of hope, I cant see us doing it , he added. To that end, Brown said the front office would like to bring in another bat, preferably a left-handed hitter. Houston is down to , and as lefty hitters on the MLB roster. Backup catcher is a switch-hitter, while lefty-swinging rookie was optioned to Triple-A when returned to the MLB roster last week. Browns comments came before Tucker left this evenings contest when he fouled a ball off his right shin. The star right fielder, who is playing at an MVP level, was on crutches in the clubhouse after the game (noted by Adam Spolane of SportsRadio 610). Tucker fortunately told reporters that x-rays came back negative, but thatll be a situation worth monitoring over the next few days. First base still stands as the biggest question mark in the Houston lineup. Abreu has only collected three hits in six games since being recalled. His season batting line sits at .115/.170/.161 in 94 plate appearances. Singleton has drawn enough walks to be a roughly average hitter against right-handed pitching. Thats far superior to Abreus work but still not imposing at a bat-first position. The Astros biggest need is arguably on the other side of the ball, however. Houstons rotation has been hit hard by injury and poor performance from their back-end starters. While the club could welcome and back midseason, theyre of losing for the year. status remains up in the air as he evaluates treatment options for forearm discomfort. Depth starter is on the Triple-A injured list with a shoulder concern. , , , and make up Houstons current rotation. The latter two righties have had particularly rough seasons. Arrighetti has allowed nearly six earned runs per nine through his first nine MLB starts. Browns ERA sits narrowly above 6.00. Both pitchers (especially Brown) have looked better in May after being rocked in the seasons first month, but the Astros have very few options behind them if anyone else suffers an injury. Left-hander is their only upper minors starter with much MLB experience. Baltimore Orioles Jersey