Astros Hold Tiebreaker Edge Over Rangers in Deadlocked AL West Race
The short version
- Astros and Rangers tied at 78-79 atop the AL West with five games remaining
- Houston holds the head-to-head tiebreaker after winning the season series 9-4
- Astros finish at Seattle and then four games at the Athletics; Rangers host the Mets twice before three games at Minnesota
- Neither team has secured a postseason berth
- White Sox (81-76) and Guardians (82-75) sit ahead in the AL Wild Card race
Houston and Texas sit level at 78-79 with five games left, but the Astros own the head-to-head tiebreaker at 9-4 in the season series.
The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers enter the final five games of the regular season tied for first place in the American League West, both at 78-79. Houston evened the race with a win Tuesday while Texas lost. Neither team has clinched a playoff spot.
Although the standings are level, the teams are not on equal footing. The Astros won nine of 13 head-to-head meetings this season and hold the tiebreaker, meaning a tie in the final records sends the division title to Houston. The Rangers must finish at least one game ahead to win the West.
The schedules give both clubs a closing path. Houston plays one more game at the Seattle Mariners before four road games against the Athletics. Texas hosts the New York Mets for two games before a three-game series at the Minnesota Twins.
Recent form favors Texas, which is 6-4 over its last 10 games, while Houston is 3-7. The Rangers are 44-35 at home but just 34-44 on the road, with three of their final five games away from Arlington. The Astros are 39-37 on the road.
The division runner-up would face a difficult wild card path. Entering Wednesday, the Chicago White Sox held the final AL Wild Card spot at 81-76, needing two wins in their last five games to reach 83 victories, while the Cleveland Guardians sat at 82-75, one win from that mark.
