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Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) is hit by a pitch against the Seattle Mariners in the fifth inning at Daikin Park. Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Disastrous Sweep Puts Astros in Pursuit of AL Wild Card Entering Final Week

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Houston Astros get on a plane to Sacramento to start the final week of their season on the defensive after an awful sweep at the hands of the Seattle Mariners.

The Astros (84-72) lost to the Mariners, 7-3, on Sunday evening. The Mariners (87-69) blasted Astros starter Jason Alexander and his relief for seven runs in the second inning. After that, Houston did what it could to play catch-up. The Astros scored three runs, including solo home runs from Zach Cole and Isaac Paredes. But Houston never strung together the big inning it needed to catch up.

Houston has won the last five American League West Division titles and eight of the last nine. That streak is now in jeopardy. The Mariners and the Astros were tied for the division lead going into the series. The Mariners are now up by three games with six games to play for each team.

Houston’s Playoff Math

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston entered the series with a magic number to win the AL West. So did Seattle. That number was 10. It was a combination of wins and losses by the two teams, depending upon who was in the league. Seattle winning all three games was the worst possible scenario for the Astros. The Mariners now have a magic number of four to win the division.

Seattle’s surge has also put it in position to claim the No. 2 seed in the AL playoffs, which comes with a bye to the divisional round. That’s because while the Mariners have surged, the Detroit Tigers have stumbled, to the point where their series with the Cleveland Guardians will determine the winner of the division.

Now, Houston’s nine-year playoff streak is in serious jeopardy. The Astros’ only likely pathway is to claim one of the three wild card berths and that race is so tight it could come down to the season’s final day.

The New York Yankees have a four-game cushion. But the second and third berths are basically deadlocked between the Boston Red Sox, the Guardians and the Astros. Boston has a one-game edge, with the Guardians and Astros tied for the final berth.

The Astros also have a big problem if they end up in a tie with either the Red Sox or the Guardians — they don’t have the tiebreaker. Houston lost the season series to both teams. There are no more one-game playoffs to decide ties. The tiebreaker will determine any head-to-head tie and that doesn’t favor Houston.