On this past road trip, the Astros played six games--four were one-run games, one was a two-run affair, and the "blowout" of the road trip was a three-run game. In short, every game was close and every late inning situation was a high leverage one. This string of close games required AJ Hinch to use his best relievers with great frequency. Without a laugher of a game game to ease pressure on the back end of the bullpen, Hinch had to get creative in his bullpen usage.
The great news for Astros fans is that the bullpen was excellent on this most recent East Coast jaunt.