Alvarez backs up his words

After challenging teammates in a clubhouse meeting, Yordan Alvarez hit his 41st homer and drove in three runs to lead the Astros past the Mariners 7-0 on Tuesday night.

“Like I said before, there's no other option. It's just going out and winning.”

Astros move into first place tie

Houston improved to 78-79 and tied the Rangers for the AL West lead after Texas lost to the Mets 6-3. The Astros own the tiebreaker.

Control their own destiny

With five games remaining, the Astros clinch the division title if they win all five, regardless of what the Rangers do. Christian Walker summed it up: "Let's go 5-0."

“Let's go 5-0.”

Walker's three-run blast sets tone

Christian Walker hit a three-run homer in the third inning off Mariners starter Logan Gilbert to make it 4-0, helping the Astros dominate early.

Bullpen steps up after Javier injury

Astros starter Cristian Javier left after two scoreless innings with right groin tightness. Four relievers combined to cover the final seven innings without allowing a run.

Injuries pile up despite dominant win

The Astros lost three players to injuries: center fielder Brice Matthews (left knee), shortstop Jeremy Peña (hit by pitch), and started without Daulton Varsho (left wrist).

Alvarez closing in on MVP award

Alvarez finished with 102 RBIs for the season after his two-run homer in the eighth. He's on pace to win his first AL MVP Award.