Astros swept by Royals, sink farther back in AL West as Rangers grow lead with sweep of Mariners

With per week final in the 2023 MLB common season, the Texas Rangers are in the AL West motive force’s seat whilst the Houston Astros blew a huge alternative at house this weekend. The Rangers finished the three-game house sweep of the Seattle Mariners on Sunday (TEX 9, SEA 8) whilst the Astros were given swept by the 102-loss Kansas City Royals (KC 6, HOU 5).

Here are the up to date AL West standings following Sunday’s video games:

1. Texas Rangers: 87-68
2. Houston Astros: 85-71 (2.5 GB)
3. Seattle Mariners: 84-71 (3 GB)
4. Los Angeles Angels: 70-86 (17.5 GB)
5. Oakland Athletics: 48-107 (39 GB)

Not too way back, the Rangers have been mired in an unsightly 4-16 stretch that dropped them out of first position and out of the postseason image complete. They have rebounded really well — Sunday’s win was once their eleventh in the ultimate 15 video games — together with sweeping Seattle this weekend and sweeping 4 video games from the wild card-contending Blue Jays in Toronto ultimate week.

The Astros, in the meantime, are 3-12 in their ultimate 15 video games, together with going 2-7 in opposition to the also-ran Royals and A’s. Those two golf equipment are a mixed 67.5 video games out of first position. Sunday was once Houston’s ultimate house sport of the common season, wrapping up the 12 months by going 39-42 at Minute Maid Park. It is their first dropping season at house since 2014 (38-43).

As for the Mariners, they went 0-7 at Globe Life Field this season and Sunday’s loss dropped them to 8-14 in September. They are 3-13 in opposition to groups instead of the Angels and Athletics this month. Seattle went on a 20-4 run in August and climbed into first position in the AL West for a couple of days. Now they are at the outdoor of the postseason bracket with per week to play.

By overdue September requirements, Texas’ 2.5-game lead is huge, however the race is a long way from over. The Rangers will cross to Seattle for 4 video games at T-Mobile Park subsequent week. Here is every membership’s final time table:

Despite being in 3rd position and 3 video games back, the Mariners keep watch over their very own future thank you to these head-to-head sequence with the Astros and Rangers. Go 7-0 in the ones ultimate seven video games and the Mariners will win the AL West, it doesn’t matter what the Rangers do in Anaheim or the Astros do in Arizona. Seattle had two eight-game profitable streaks simply ultimate month. Why cannot they do it once more?

If the Astros cross 6-0, they nonetheless want the Rangers to lose a minimum of 3 of their ultimate seven video games. Houston going 6-0 whilst Texas is going 4-3 would give them similar 91-61 information. All ties are determined mathematically now and the Astros received the season sequence 9-4, so they have got the tiebreaker. Because of that, the Rangers’ 2.5-game lead over Houston is functionally a 1.5-game lead. A tie does the Rangers no just right. They wish to win the department outright.

The Rangers have a magic quantity of 5. Any mixture of wins by Texas and losses by the second one position staff (both the Astros or Mariners relying at the day) totaling 5 the remaining of the best way clinched the AL West identify for the Rangers. It could be their first department championship since 2016. Texas actually took care of trade this weekend. The Astros and Mariners didn’t, and now their department hopes are dwindling.