Astros Take Control of AL West With Five Games Remaining
The short version
- Astros and Rangers are tied at 78-79 in the AL West.
- Houston holds the tiebreaker after winning the season series over Texas.
- Houston beat Seattle 7-0 on Monday; Texas lost to the Mets.
- Astros finish with five road games: one at Seattle, four at Oakland.
- A 5-0 finish guarantees Houston the division title.
Houston moved ahead of Texas in the division race after beating Seattle while the Rangers fell to the Mets on Monday.
The Houston Astros blanked the Seattle Mariners 7-0 on Monday, just their third victory over Seattle this season. Combined with the Texas Rangers' loss to the New York Mets, the result put Houston in charge of the AL West with five games remaining.
Both clubs sit at 78-79, but Houston owns the head-to-head tiebreaker after taking the season series against Texas. The two teams return to action Wednesday, with the Astros visiting Seattle and the Rangers hosting the Mets.
Houston closes the regular season with four games at the Athletics after Wednesday's contest in Seattle. Texas hosts the Mets through Thursday, then finishes with three games at Minnesota.
The division math is straightforward: if the Astros win all five remaining games, they claim the AL West regardless of what Texas does. A 4-1 finish would require the Rangers to win all five of theirs, while a 3-2 Astros finish means Texas must win four.