The Houston Astros did something that the Atlanta Braves did last year. Despite trailing in first place in the division for the majority of the season, they were able to sneak away with the AL West championship.
On Sunday, they defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-1 and were helped out by the Seattle Mariners, who picked up the 1-0 victory over the Texas Rangers. With that, the Astros won the AL West title for the third consecutive season and for the sixth time in the past seven seasons.
After the game, the Astros were celebrating yet another division championship as they look to win their third World Series title at the end of the postseason. For those who were cheering for the Astros' downfall, as it looked like they were going to make it as one of the final Wild Card teams, the team is letting them know that they aren't going anywhere.
Take a listen to third baseman Alex Bregman's comments during their locker room celebration after clinching the division. Bregman said to those who asked what it would be like if they didn't win the division, "I guess we'll never know" before popping the champagne.
Astros declare that AL West is still their division
Bregman wasn't the only player in Houston to call out those who doubted their ability to win the division. Catcher Martin Maldonado declared that the AL West is theirs.
"I remember somebody saying that if they lose the division, it'll be because they gave it away," said Maldonado, h/t The Athletic. "You know what? This is our division."
Had the Mariners lost on Sunday, the Rangers would have won their first AL West Championship since 2016, which just so happens to be the last time they made the postseason. With Houston and Texas having identical 90-72 records, it was the Astros who had the tiebreaker after picking up nine wins in their 13 head-to-head matchups this season.
With this, the Astros not only have another trophy to add to the display case, but they avoid the Wild Card Series altogether. By way of being the division winner with the second-best record in the league, they received a first-round bye, and will have nearly a week of rest. Given that they have a worse record than the top-seeded Baltimore Orioles, Houston will play the remaining team with the higher seed in the Division Series.
As for the Rangers, they will have to play the best-of-three series in the opening round against the Tampa Bay Rays.
For those who wanted the Astros to not win the division this season, you will have to wait until next year at minimum.Even so, they're confident that it will be theirs to claim for the foreseeable future.
