After an ignominious butt-kicking at home at the feet of the Seattle Mariners, the Astros find themselves all but mathematically eliminated from winning the AL West. Their only playoff hope lies in the Wild Card. They are one game behind the Red Sox for the second spot and tied with the Guardians for the third spot. But both teams hold the tie-breaker with the Astros, so the Astros look like a long shot with six games left, especially with how hot the Guardians have been of late.
But hope still lives. At least we knocked out the Rangers. And the Guardians play a team also with something to play for themselves. The Tigers just got knocked out of the second seed, and if they’re not careful, they could not only lose their AL Central crown but also lose a playoff berth outright.
What if the Astros end up tied with the Tigers for the WC? The Tigers also hold the tie-breaker.
Are the Astros still contenders? Is the Golden Era officially over? This last week of the season will give us an answer.
Here are the WC standings:
And here is tonight’s lineup.