The Houston Astros may have had a shaky start this season, but they’ve proven that they’re a force to be reckoned with by clinching the American League West title for the fourth consecutive year. In a thrilling home game against the Seattle Mariners on Sept. 24, veteran Jason Heyward stole the show with a clutch two-run homer in the bottom fifth inning, propelling the Astros to a 4-3 lead. Not only did Heyward deliver at the plate, but he also made a spectacular defensive play earlier in the game, robbing the Mariners of a home run and ultimately sealing the victory for the Astros, clinching the third seed in the AL postseason field.
In the top of the fifth inning, the 35-year-old 15-year pro, Heyward, made an incredible sacrifice, diving to catch a hit by Cal Raleigh and preventing what could have been a solo home run or extra bases. In a breathtaking display of athleticism, Heyward collided with the scoreboard, shattering it in the process.
“Honestly, I wasn’t thinking about it,” said Heyward to the PaperCity while celebrating another Astros’ AL West championship. “I wasn’t thinking about knowing the wall was coming. I did the best I could to make the play. It was a tough one to read. Obviously, I don’t have a lot of experience in right field. Just trying to stay with it.”
Heyward, who won an MLB championship in 2016 with the Chicago Cubs, signed with the Astros last month after his release by the Dodgers, is filling in for Yordan Alvarez, who is out with a knee sprain.
“What an opportunity,” Heyward said. “You never know where you’re going to be. It’s a different journey than most to get here, but it’s really cool that the game allows that to happen. And to come into a winning clubhouse, with a winning culture, that says a lot about what people think of me and it’s fun to give that back to them.”
The Houston Astros have clinched the AL West championship for the fourth consecutive year and are heading to the playoffs for the eighth straight year. The team’s first-year manager, Joe Espada, who succeeded the baseball legend Dusty Baker, drowned in emotions as the final out secured their victory.
“Oh my God. Unbelievable,” he said. “Tears came out of my eyes. I’m emotional because I care about this team. I love this team, and the fact that we are in a position to compete for another World Series is special.”
Along with Heyward’s home run, Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker each added a solo home run for the Astros as well.
“Every year is a little different,” said Kyle Tucker following the Astros win over the Mariners to clinch the AL West.
Bregman spoke on the team’s reliance to battle back from their slow start to the season.
“We started off super slow and we had to grind for it all year long,” third baseman Alex Bregman said. “And the guys just put their heads down, never stopped believing and kept faith and kept going.”
The Astros had a tough start to the season with a 7-19 record, falling behind Seattle by a season-high 10 games on June 18. However, they turned things around by winning their next seven games, kicking off a 13-2 stretch and improving to 46-42 by July 5.
The Astros made history by becoming the first team to win the AL West in four consecutive seasons since the Oakland Athletics’ five-year reign from 1971-75. This marks the first time the Astros have clinched four consecutive division titles, having previously won three in a row twice (1997-99 and 2017-19). Additionally, the Astros have secured their seventh AL West crown in eight seasons, with their only defeat during this period occurring in the shortened 2020 season, when they were surpassed by the Oakland Athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In mid-August, they surged past the Mariners to claim the top spot, ultimately securing their latest division title with a commanding 79-53 record following a challenging 26-game stretch. Despite grappling with numerous injuries, the Astros managed to clinch a postseason berth in their first year under Espada, who said that he never lost hope in the Astros’ season.
“I never lost faith,” Espada remarked. “When it comes to winning, knowing how to succeed and having the right elements for victory, you don’t disrupt that. You need to safeguard it, and that’s precisely what we’ve accomplished.”
Although the Astros are AL West champs, if they want to be the MLB champs, they must overcome a bevy of injuries heading into the postseason.
“Yordan Alvarez got hurt on Sunday, the team has lost important role players Tayler Scott and Ben Gamel, and center fielder Chas McCormick has yet to return from a broken hand,” said Chad Jennings of The Athletic. “The good news is that right fielder Kyle Tucker returned from the IL this month and has steadily ramped up his playing time, collecting a couple of four-hit games over the weekend. Houston could use the final weekend to get their best starters lined up for the wild-card series and — ideally — get Alvarez healthy enough for October.”
Espada provided an update on Yordan Alvarez’s condition on Wednesday morning, noting that Alvarez was showing signs of improvement in his mobility, although he had not yet resumed baseball-related activities. The team’s priority was to avoid exacerbating any swelling in Alvarez’s knee, which could prematurely end his regular season. As a result, they opted to keep him under close medical supervision and restricted his travel to Cleveland.
“He’s going to be with the doctors,” Espada said. “We want him to start moving around a little bit. We want to keep him in good care here. But again, Yordan is feeling better this morning, he’s in the training room getting some treatment.”
Espada emphasized the importance of providing Alvarez with thorough medical care while also encouraging him to gradually increase his physical activity. He mentioned that Alvarez was feeling better and receiving treatment in the training room.
In addition to Alvarez, outfielder Chas McCormick, who is currently on the 10-day injured list due to a right-hand fracture, will also not be traveling to Cleveland. According to Espada, McCormick is set to face live pitching in a batting practice session over the weekend as part of his recovery plan.
Having been sidelined since September 12, McCormick is aiming for a potential return during the wild-card series. He has been making progress by resuming hitting drills in the batting cage this week and engaging in pregame outfield exercises before the Astros’ series finale against Seattle.
Cintrón expressed optimism about McCormick’s recovery, noting that he “is moving in the right direction and showing promising signs of improvement.”
