The dog days of summer are upon us. That time of year when the season seems never-ending, an eternal treadmill of 7:05 p.m. starts. But these games matter just like any others, and the playoff picture, particularly in the National League, is shifting in real time. Clubs that have held firm spots for months are looking dinky, whereas slow starters have begun to surge.
Here’s everything significant that happened over the weekend.
The Houston Astros are back
Houston was 12 games under .500 on May 8.
Its pitching rotation was an infirmary.