# Astros tie Rangers atop AL West with five games left

> Houston beats Seattle 7-0 and controls its own destiny in the division race.
- Title: Astros tie Rangers atop AL West with five games left · Mlb
- Summary: Houston beats Seattle 7-0 and controls its own destiny in the division race. The Astros moved into a first-place tie with Texas and hold the tiebreaker…
- Keywords: astros, rangers, al west, yordan alvarez, christian walker, mariners, seattle, playoff race, tiebreaker, mlb, sports, tie
- Source: Mlb — https://mlb.com/news/astros-move-into-tie-for-first-place-in-al-west
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: astros, rangers, al west, yordan alvarez, christian walker, mariners, seattle, playoff race, tiebreaker, mlb, sports
## 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.
## Key takeaway

The Astros moved into a first-place tie with Texas and hold the tiebreaker, meaning they clinch the AL West title if they win their final five games regardless of what the Rangers do.