Astros Need Help From Bitter Rivals to Win Division

The Houston Astros will have to rely on their bitter rival Seattle Mariners to help them if they want to clinch the AL West division this season.

The Houston Astros are in control of securing a postseason position after they won a heated series against the Seattle Mariners.

They are now one-and-a-half games up in the standings for the final Wild Card spot and only a half-game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the second position.

Still, the Astros players, coaches and front office talked about how they still have their sights set on winning the AL West division before the season is over.

With three games remaining in the year, Houston is down two-and-a-half games and will need some help from their bitter rivals if that's going to happen.

On Thursday, the Mariners begin a four-game slate against the Texas Rangers to close out the regular season.

If they can win three of those four games and Houston closes their season with a sweep over the Arizona Diamondbacks, then the Astros will lift their third consecutive divisional banner.

That might be a tall task, however.

Seattle has a record of 1-8 against the Rangers so far this season, but gets all four of these games at home.

So far, it's been a bad matchup for the Mariners, who have been outscored 55-31 across the nine games of this season long series.

The lone win for Seattle was in their home park back in May.

That's not exactly exuding a lot of confidence that Houston's rivals can step up in a big moment for them

But maybe water will find it's level and the Mariners finally beat Texas in successive games for the first time all year.

Houston certainly hopes so.

They want to lift another AL West banner.