Four Seattle Mariners pitchers held their lineup to three hits. Four Mariners hitters struck solo home runs. And a showdown between American League West contenders began with a shutout. The Astros lost, 4-0, on Friday night to fall a game behind Seattle in the division.

Sunday's 7-3 loss to Seattle left Houston in a three-game deficit with six to play. "We have to go out there and win," Carlos Correa said.

The Astros' nearly decade-long reign atop the American League West officially ended Wednesday after the Seattle Mariners clinched the division.

The Astros are in grave danger of missing the playoffs entirely, and these six players deserve a majority of the blame.

The Astros' loss to the Angels lowered the Tigers' magic number to one to clinch the third and final wild-card in the American League.

Houston Astros task of winning AL West more difficult after Yordan Alvarez injury originally appeared on The Sporting News The Houston Astros defeated the Texas Rangers 6-3 on Monday night, but it came at a major cost. Superstar outfielder Yordan Alvarez exited the game in the first inning after he sprained his ankle while crossing home plate.

The Seattle Mariners had been gradually shrinking the gap in the American League West, and in a Thursday night thriller, they finally caught the Astros (79-68). Fans can certainly point to injuries, as Houston has been without impactful contributors for large stretches of the season, but the lineup is also underachieving.

The Houston Astros trail the Seattle Mariners by one game in the AL West with two to play in the last series between the two.

Pretty much anything is on the table for the Astros over the final eight games of the regular season. They’re one game behind the first-place Mariners in the American League West standings, one game behind the Tigers for the No.

Seattle, which has won four straight and 14 of 15, holds the second American League playoff seed by two games over AL Central-leading Detroit, which has dropped six in a row. The Mariners, looking to win the AL West for the first time since 2001, finished 8-5 against the Astros this season.

The American League West is hanging in the balance. The Houston Astros received good news with Isaac Paredes' return, but they also received bad news.

The Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros are all fighting for those positions. The AL West has already been won by the Seattle Mariners, so the Astros can only hope for the Wild Card spot, while whoever doesn't win the Central between the Guardians and Tigers also has to chase that last spot.