Why Do Astros Score More In Late Innings?

You probably have heard broadcasters say that the Astros' offense doesn't wake up until the 7th inning or later. "Nobody has an explanation for why this is the case," say the television broadcasters. I have even heard the suggestion that the Astros' hitters lack focus and intensity until the late innings.

Looking on this as a challenge: Is this true? And, if it is, what is the possible explanation. I will use Baseball-Reference.com's splits pages for the Astros and the American League to shed some light on these questions.

First, the claim that the Astros' offense is skewed toward the late innings is true. You probably knew this from watching the Astros' games. But the stats help us verify…