Commentary: Houston has a problem - the tide has officially turned in the AL West

Commentary: Houston has a problem - the tide has officially turned in the AL West

The Mariners are 25-14 against the Astros since the start of 2023. And with a divisional title, you can say Seattle finally has their number.

It’s a bit unorthodox to start the show with anything aside from the Mariners, but we thought it was important to provide you a game-by-game schedule for the Astros postseason this year.

So here, you’ll see what Houston will be up to over the course of the next couple weeks. Clearly looking like they’ll be undefeated on the road to… well… nowhere. But undefeated nonetheless.

Which actually reminds me of this tweet from three years ago, when the Astros swept the M’s from the ALDS. Obviously, the M’s, returning the favor in the regular season last week, a big reason is sitting on their couch in October for the first time since 2016.

The point is this: Since that playoff sweep in 20-22, the Mariners have actually had the upper hand on Houston when it came to their head-to-head series. 

Seattle is 25-14 against the Astros the last three years. The M’s now have their number.

And now that the regular season is officially over and Houston’s playoff streak has been broken, we can point to last week’s Mariners sweep as the straw that broke the camel’s back. I’d go so far as to say that the M’s officially broke the Astros spirit one week ago, with the season on the line, getting humiliated in their own home. 

Of course, you’ll have to indulge us tonight, and maybe we’re not taking the high road, but hey, it’s been close to a decade of dealing with these monsters. We’ve even lived through a season where Seattle went 1-18 against them. So yes, let us bask in this moment.

Let us bask in the glory of a division title for the first time in 24 years. A chance to skip the Wild Card round and go straight to the divisional series. A chance to host more than just one home playoff game and maybe even score a few runs this time around. And the opportunity to wave at those who were left behind, most notably, those whose name rhymes with Rosay Maltuvay. 

Do the Mariners have a lot of work to do? Of course. Seven wins to a first-ever World Series. Eleven away from an unprecedented championship.

But moments like these on Tuesday and Wednesday night made the majority of the last two decades somewhat more tenable. To see the joy on all their faces but hear their unanimous resolve that they’re not done just yet… gave us all another big boost. The next two or three or hopefully four or five weeks won’t be easy, but everyone in that clubhouse deserved these celebrations, and it only motivates them to do it again with even bigger stakes ahead.

As for the Astros and the AL West, the tide has officially turned. 

Let’s hope this new era lasts as long – or even longer - than the one we’ve had to endure on the losing end of that annual divisional race.