Astros Clinch AL West Title With Win

The Houston Astros clinched their fourth consecutive AL West title and their seventh in the past eight seasons with a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Key contributions came from Jason Heyward, who hit a go-ahead two-run homer and made a crucial defensive play, and Josh Hader, who secured a four-out save. Heyward, signed by the Astros in late August, has been instrumental, filling in for the injured Yordan Alvarez and revitalizing his career with timely hitting and defense. Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker also homered in the game, supporting starter Framber Valdez, who allowed three runs over 5⅔ innings. The Astros will now host a best-of-three AL wild-card series, while the Mariners have fallen further behind in the wild-card race. This season's success is a testament to the Astros' resilience, overcoming a poor start to the season and numerous injuries to key players.