Swept by the Braves and now trailing the Rangers, the Astros need a near-perfect final week just to force a tiebreaker.
The Houston Astros closed out their series against the Braves Sunday afternoon, and things are tense for this Houston team, to say the least.
It is no secret that the Rangers have been stepping right on the Astros' heels for weeks now, and Saturday the Rangers finally passed up the Astros. A sweep by the Braves did the Astros in.
With only six games left in the season, the pressure is on more than ever. Last season was the first season after eight consecutive playoff appearances that the Astros ended up watching from home. While they have had a very up-and-down season, the obvious goal is to make sure they don't end up watching the playoffs from the comfort of their own homes two seasons in a row.
The Astros have been fighting hard, but a team like the Braves proved to be too much for this team. Even ace Hunter Brown couldn't snag that win to keep the Astros neck and neck in the AL West. While he pitched exceptionally well, almost as good as it gets for Brown, the Braves completed the sweep.
Here's a look at what the final week looks like for the Astros and Rangers, based on who these two teams are facing… Who is more likely to string together some wins to hold onto or regain that division lead?
The Astros have just two series left: the Seattle Mariners and the Sacramento Athletics. Both teams are well below .500, and in reality, the Astros should at least be able to add four or more wins to their record before the end of the regular season.
The Rangers are in a somewhat similar position, facing teams that have both been eliminated from playoff contention. The Rangers first face the New York Mets, and then the Minnesota Twins. Both teams are heading into series they should win. The only advantage the Rangers potentially have is that they have one series at home, whereas the Astros are on the road for the rest of the season.
The Mets have been known to dominate randomly, like they did against the Yankees earlier this month, winning the second game of the series 12-2 and taking a series win against the Phillies. The Twins did just take the series against theAngels, but that doesn't really mean much since the Angels are the Angels.
The Astros will kick off their series against the Seattle Mariners at 8:40 CT in Seattle. A late one for the people of Houston, but it is absolutely crucial the Astros set the tone early on for this series, and take the opportunity to pass the Texas Rangers in the AL West.
