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Astros Clinch the AL West With a 9-0 Shutout Win Against the Athletics
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- Astros Clinch the AL West With a 9-0 Shutout Win Against the Athletics
(Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images)
Image 1: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images, Image 2: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images, Image 3-5: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images, Image 6: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images, Image 7: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
The Houston Astros followed up their blowout win against the Athletics with a shutout win to secure the division title. What a way to end an up-and-down season, keeping things interesting until the very end.
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The Astros went into their final game of the season desperately needing a win, tied with the Texas Rangers , but Houston held the tiebreaker. After a 13-2 blowout victory, they ended the season with a 9-0 shutout win. Astros fans can finally breathe a little.
The Astros take the division for the eighth time in the last ten seasons, and unlike last year, their season will not end with the regular season, something that was never a guarantee all season long.
Here is a look at what went down as they dominated the series and season finale.
Peter Lambert took the mound for the final game of the regular season. It was an expected brief outing: two innings with two hits and zero runs allowed, a solid start from one of the Astros' best starting pitchers of the 2026 season.
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As Lambert finished his two innings, the bullpen got ready, and Ethan Pecko took over. Pecko threw three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out two to pick up the win.
In the second, the Astros loaded the bases, but Trammell struck out and the Athletics escaped the jam. Houston was just getting started, and the game was still scoreless heading into the third.
Yordan Alvarez was hit by a pitch, and Paredes stepped up with two runners on and no outs. Paredes grounded out, which served almost like a sacrifice as the runners advanced. Altuve grounded out, but Peña made it home to put the Astros on the board.
Yainer Diaz ripped one to left field for an RBI, extending the lead to 2-0. Christian Walker was intentionally walked, and Lucas Spence followed with a two-run triple to right-center, continuing to be a massive contributor as he drove in two. Those two RBI brought his total for the series to nine, an incredible run for a kid who thought his season was over a week ago after Sugar Land ended.
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Walker crushed a home run, his fourth of the road trip, giving him 87 RBI on the year and the Astros their 13th home run of the series. Alvarez also drove in a run, his 106th RBI of the season, and Peña added an RBI on a sac fly.
The Astros got the news that the Rangers had lost to the Twins, and it was official: they were the division winner.
Tatsuya Imai came in to finish things off, and after a rough season, he ended his regular season with a strikeout. The Astros are division champions once again, and the postseason awaits.
