HOUSTON -- Astros manager AJ Hinch is at a loss in explaining why his club is hitting significantly better across the board on the road than at home through roughly 20 percent of the season.
Away from Minute Maid Park, the Astros are batting .280 with 81 runs scored and a 10-4 record. Entering Thursday's series finale against the Yankees, the numbers were considerably lower at home, where Houston was batting .226 with 68 runs while going 10-8.
"I don't know what it is," Hinch said. "This is a ballpark that there's a lot of offense in and there are hits everywhere.
"For whatever reason, we get a little pull-conscious as right-handed hitters or left-handed hitters, and it hasn't worked out the way you would expect it to."
The Astros' on-base percentage (.366), slugging percentage (.441) and OPS (.806) are also much higher on the road, which is where they're headed for the next six games beginning Friday in Arizona. At home, their numbers are .298 (OBP), .358 (slugging) and .656 (OPS).
In their previous road series, the Astros outscored the White Sox by 25 runs (27-2) in sweeping the three-game series. Entering Thursday, Houston had been shut out in consecutive home games by New York.
"I remember answering these questions in 2015, and 2016 was the opposite -- it's gone back and forth with this group," Hinch said. "I don't know if it's subconsciously we see the [short left-field] porch, the Crawford Boxes [at Minute Maid Park] and try to hit the ball out of the ballpark. It's weird, it's very unusual."