HOUSTON -- Now that the Astros have left the Rangers in a cloud of dust in their rearview mirror, they can set their sights on winning another American League West division crown.
Jose Altuve and Jeremy Peña clubbed homers off Jacob deGrom, and Cristian Javier held the Rangers to two runs and five hits in six innings to lead the Astros to a sweep of the three-game series at Daikin Park that moved Houston back into first place with a 5-2 win in Wednesday’s series finale.
The Astros retained the Silver Boot by taking the season series from the Rangers, giving them the edge in any tiebreakers at the end of the season. Houston moved five games ahead of Texas in the American League West with nine games remaining, including a showdown with the Mariners beginning Friday.
The Mariners had their 10-game winning streak snapped with a loss Wednesday in Kansas City, moving the Astros back into first place by one-half game. The Mariners will play in Kansas City on Thursday before traveling to Houston to face the Astros, who are off Thursday. The winner of the series will own the tiebreaker between the two clubs.
The Astros forced deGrom to throw 35 pitches in the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead on a bases-loaded single by Yainer Diaz. Altuve put the Astros ahead, 4-2, in the third with a two-run homer, and Peña homered to right field in the fifth inning.