The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers refuse to run away with the AL West Division.
It’s as if neither team really wants the division title and the playoff spot that comes with it.
And given how they’ve played down the stretch, they’ve guaranteed one thing: Neither of these teams will get an AL Wild Card spot. One will win the division, and the other one will have their season end on Sunday.
On Friday night, neither team could pull out a win against a non-playoff team to secure an edge.
The Astros lost 6-5 to the A’s, allowing six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and letting that be enough.
The Rangers were never in it in Minnesota against the Twins in a 10-2 loss, allowing six runs in the bottom of the second inning and never rallying.
The reality is that both of these AL West contenders have plenty of flaws. They’ll host the second-place AL Central team in the best-of-three Wild Card Series, and no one would be shocked if that was the only series played by the AL West champion.
But the other truth is that the only way to surprise people in the playoffs is to get into the bracket in the first place.
One of the Astros and Rangers is going to do that. But which one?
Entering Saturday, when both will have a game to play and one more Sunday against their same foes from Friday, the teams are tied with a 79-81 record. Neither will finish with a winning mark, but one will go to the postseason — even if the standings end in a tie.
Astros-Rangers Tiebreaker
The Astros hold the tiebreaker over the Rangers.
If the teams finish with the same record, Houston goes to the playoffs.
The first tiebreaker is head-to-head record over the course of the current season between the two teams that are tied.
In this case, the Astros took the season series 9-4, dominating the Rangers and convincingly earning themselves the tiebreaker that could prove to be quite pivotal.
Astros Playoff Scenarios
The Astros simply need to play even with the Rangers over the last two days of the season.
If Houston goes 2-0, it doesn’t matter what Texas does, because the Astros would maintain first place.
If the Astros have a 1-1 weekend, they need the Rangers to lose at least one more game.
And if Houston goes 0-2, they’ll need Texas to also drop both of their remaining games.
Rangers Playoff Scenearios
On the flip side, Texas needs to gain a single game.
If they go 2-0, the Rangers need Houston 1-1 at best.
If it’s 1-1 for Texas, it has to be 0-2 for the Astros for the Rangers to get in.
And the Rangers can’t get in if they go 0-2, or if the Astros go 2-0.
It may not be impressive from a record standpoint, but it is coming down to a photo finish in the AL West Division.
Astros-Rangers Tiebreaker: Who Wins AL West Division With Same Record?