Incredible Stat Proves Just How Dominant the Astros' Bullpen Has Been

The Houston Astros, to nobody's surprise, have been very good this year. They lead the AL with 41 wins and have crushed their opponents with routine efficiency.

Perhaps most vital to their success has been the sheer dominance of their bullpen, which has been quite literally unbeatable when handed a lead late in the game.

That's incredible. Houston has not lost a game in which they held the lead after six innings, showing that their bullpen is not only incredibly reliable, but that dependability extends for multiple innings.

It shouldn't be too surprising when it's taken into account that they have two of the most un-hittable relievers in the game this year. Setup man Ryan Pressly and closer Roberto Osuna have combined to allow just 31 hits in 55.2 innings of work. Osuna sports a 1.98 ERA and Pressly a stingy 0.64.

Osuna's 0.659 WHIP is only narrowly outdone by Pressly's 0.635 mark. And none of this even takes into account the other dominant arms that populate the bullpen.

Fellow relievers Will Harris and Hector Rondon have been every bit as efficient at confounding opposing offenses and keeping the lead in hand, combining to allow just nine runs across 42 innings of work

The Astros' bullpen is on another planet right now and has yet to drop the ball for the surging AL West club. The team's devotion to improving its relief pitching is paying off, as Houston has improved the unit via trade over the past few seasons, snagging Osuna and Pressly last year.

Facing Houston's bullpen is practically a death sentence. As soon as those gates in the outfield swing open, the game is as good as won. And scoring on the Astros isn't made any easier by the team's strong starting rotation, featuring the dominant Justin Verlander and strikeout machine Gerrit Cole.