The Houston Astros have clinched their fourth straight AL West title with a 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners, overcoming a terrible start to reach the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year. The Astros are the first team to win four straight AL West crowns since Oakland won five in a row from 1971-75. It’s the first time they’ve won four consecutive division titles, after winning three in a row twice before. Houston limped out to a 7-19 record and trailed Seattle by a season-high 10 games on June 18. But the Astros won their next seven to start a 13-2 stretch as they improved to 46-42 by July 5. They moved past the Mariners into first place in mid-August and cruised home to the division crown.
