Inside the Astros

Astros Lose AL West Lead After Mariners’ Dominant 10-Game Rally

The Houston Astros have their work cut out for them down the stretch.
Maddy Dickens|
Sep 13, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) on the field during the game against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park
Sep 13, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) on the field during the game against the Atlanta Braves during the eighth inning at Truist Park | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Houston Astros

The Seattle Mariners have gotten hot at just the right time for them. It is the worst possible time for the Houston Astros. The Mariners have now won 10 straight to dethrone the Astros in the AL West as the clock on the regular season is rapidly winding down.

The ballclub now finds itself in the hunt for a wild card spot, and with a tough American League battle, they are only .5 game ahead in the wild card.

The Astros have had somewhat of a spark of life recently at least. They started off the month 4-6, dropping back-to-back-to-back series against AL West foes- the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Yankees, and the Texas Rangers. That was the wakeup call they needed as they have now won their last two series as the team fights to stay in the playoffs.

Houston has secured a series win over the Rangers as they go into game three looking for a sweep. With absolutely no breathing room in either the division or wild card race, every game is going to count. Some days the ballclub looks like the best in the AL, some days they look like the worst. Consistency down the stretch is going to mean the most if the Astros hope to play in October.

A Look at the Rest of September

Javier getting ready to release a pitch in an orange jersey and white pant
Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Astros have secured a series victory over their in-state rivals, the Rangers. Now they are looking to finish the sweep to further distance themselves from the club. Cristian Javier is taking the mound for Houston in the finale to face off against Jacob deGrom for the Rangers.

Javier spent the majority of the season on the injured list, and deGrom easily has the upper hand in this matchup, but the 28-year-old is ready for the challenge. Pressure is on for this matchup and the Astros are looking for as much confidence as possible going into their next matchup with the Mariners.

The AL West could look significantly different by the end of the week as the best-of-the-best in the division are set to face off. Houston will have the day off before this battle commences. They luckily finish the month off with an easier stretch against the Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels- both well under .500.

The battle for the division title is heating up throughout baseball and the AL West is going to be a good one to watch down the stretch. Whoever doesn't come out on top is going to maybe have a wild card spot.

It is a dogfight to the finish line, and the Astros must bring their A-game if they hope to advance past September.

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Maddy Dickens
MADDY DICKENS

Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.

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