Inside the Astros

When Will Houston Astros Clinch AL West?

The Houston Astros have a chance to finish off the Seattle Mariners this week.

Tyler Maher

Sep 21, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander and right fielder Jason Heyward celebrate.
Sep 21, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander and right fielder Jason Heyward celebrate. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
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The final week of the MLB regular season is here, and the Houston Astros still have a job to do.

After taking three of four from the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend, the Astros have positioned themselves to clinch the AL West at home this week. They start the week with a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners, who trail them by five games in the standings with six games to go.

That means Houston only needs to win one against the Mariners to clinch the division, which would be its fourth straight AL West title and seventh in the last eight years.

The earliest the Astros could clinch would be Monday night. Hunter Brown (11-8, 3.57 ERA) will be on the mound for Houston, which will be wearing its "Space City" City Connect uniforms for the final time.

Per the Astros, the special jerseys will be decommissioned after Monday and replaced by a new City Connect uniform next season.

Brown will face Bryce Miller, who's 11-8 with a 3.06 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in 30 starts this season.

It will be fitting if Houston clinches the division against Seattle after chasing the Mariners in the standings for much of the season. The Astros started 12-24 and were in last place for most of April and early May, giving Seattle a head start.

Houston quickly corrected course, however, and caught the Mariners immediately after the All-Star Break. The Astros finally passed them for good in early August, pulling away thanks to their historically good pitching as Seattle faded down the stretch.

Houston is 4-6 against the Mariners and 45-33 at Minute Maid Park this year, so it should be able to win at least one game in the series. The Astros haven't been swept at home since the Atlanta Braves took three games from them in mid-April.

If Houston fails to clinch at home, it will try to do so on the road against the Cleveland Guardians this weekend. With their magic number at two, the Astros need two wins, two Seattle losses, or one win and one Mariners loss to secure the AL West.

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Tyler Maher

TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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