The AL West is 長，率いるd for a wild finish between the Astros, 特別奇襲隊員s and 水夫s
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - This time of year, Houston Astros 経営者／支配人 Dusty パン職人 is usually starting to think about getting some 残り／休憩（する） for his everyday players and putting together pitching 計画（する）s for the プレーオフs.
Not yet this season in what is 形態／調整ing up for a wild West finish in the American League.
The 統治するing World Series 支持する／優勝者 Astros will go into the final 10 days of the 正規の／正選手 season with only a half-game lead in the AL West over both Seattle and Texas after all were off Thursday. The 水夫s play their final 10 games against those other two teams.
"These tight (races), they can build character. So, let´s see what 肉親，親類d of character we´ve got," パン職人 said.
"It´s 肉親，親類d of 冷静な／正味の to see three teams fighting for one 位置／汚点／見つけ出す, two 位置／汚点／見つけ出すs with the wild card," 水夫s first baseman Ty フラン said. "It´s 正確に／まさに how we 手配中の，お尋ね者 to finish, and hopefully we can take care of 商売／仕事."
Seattle opens a three-game series at Texas on Friday night with those teams tied for the American League´s third and final wild-card 位置／汚点／見つけ出す, and Toronto 権利 ahead of them. The 水夫s then go home for three games against Houston and four more against the 特別奇襲隊員s.
FILE - Houston Astros 経営者／支配人 Dusty パン職人 Jr. looks on from the dugout in the third inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, in Baltimore. Dusty パン職人 usually by now is starting to think about getting some 残り／休憩（する） for his everyday players and setting up his pitching rotation for the プレーオフs. Not yet this year in what is 形態／調整ing up for a wild West finish in the American League.(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, とじ込み／提出する)
Houston has 85 勝利，勝つs after their walk-off victory Wednesday over AL-best Baltimore to stay in 前線 and 避ける 存在 swept at home. That is one more 勝利，勝つ than the 水夫s and 特別奇襲隊員s - all three teams have 68 losses.
The Astros pretty comfortably won each of the last five AL West 肩書を与えるs 決定するd over 十分な 162-game schedules, 含むing by 16 games last season. They have been to the AL 選手権 Series six years in a 列／漕ぐ／騒動, even as a 29-31 wild c ard during the COVID-altered 2020 season. They went to the World Series four times in that （期間が）わたる, winning two of them.
Only 39-39 at home, the Astros host 102-loss Kansas City this 週末 before going to Seattle and NL wild-card 競争相手 Arizona.
"I don´t think it´s going be a problem for us to go out there and 焦点（を合わせる） and 勝利，勝つ some games," said Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, 追加するing that their past success should help them.
Texas, already 確実にするd its first winning 記録，記録的な／記録する since 2016, led the AL West for 148 of the season´s first 149 days through Aug. 26. But the 特別奇襲隊員s had lost 20 of 30 games before 支援する-to-支援する 勝利，勝つs over Boston.
"It´s been a heck of a ride ... some 法外な, 法外な hills, up and 負かす／撃墜する. It´s unlike I´ve seen, to be honest, when you look at this roller-coaster ride," said 特別奇襲隊員s 経営者／支配人 Bruce Bochy, a three-time World Series 支持する／優勝者 with San Francisco before 存在 out of the dugout the past three seasons.
"But I 行方不明になるd it. ... If you told me I´d been in this 状況／情勢 last year when I wasn´t doing this, I would have done a cartwheel around this ballpark."
The 特別奇襲隊員s have two 多重の Cy Young Award 勝利者s, but Jacob deGrom (肘 外科) hasn't pitched since April and 貿易（する）-最終期限 取得／買収 Max Scherzer is on the 負傷させるd 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） with a 緊張するd muscle in his shoulder. Five of their six All-星／主役にするs have been on the IL since that July 11 game, with 強打者 Adolis Garcia and 新人 third baseman Josh Jung the last to return this week.
Seattle and Texas last met the first 週末 in June, when the 特別奇襲隊員s swept three games at home, 含むing 16-6 and 12-3 勝利，勝つs. The 水夫s, who last season made the プレーオフs for the first time since 2001, were then 29-30 and 9 1/2 games out of the 分割 lead.
While only 1-5 against Texas so far, the 水夫s have won eight of 10 against the Astros. Houston went 9-4 against the 特別奇襲隊員s, hitting 16 ホームランs and outscoring them 39-10 in a three-game road sweep just two weeks ago to take 単独の 所有／入手 of the 分割 lead for the first time all season.
The 水夫s had a pair of eight-game winning streaks in August while led by their young 星／主役にする Julio Rodriguez, whose 176 攻撃する，衝突するs are tied with Texas leadoff hitter Marcus Semien for most in the AL. But they lost at least three games in a 列／漕ぐ／騒動 three times in September before they swept three games in Oakland this week.
Seattle does have experience with the emotions and swings of a プレーオフ chase. The M's won 90 games each of the last two seasons, just 行方不明の a postseason 寝台／地位 in 2021. They won in the wild-card 一連の会議、交渉／完成する against Toronto last year before Houston swept them in the AL 分割 Series.
"You lose two games in a 列／漕ぐ／騒動 and oh my god, the sky is 落ちるing. And then you 勝利，勝つ two games in a 列／漕ぐ／騒動 and everybody´s, `Oh we´re a lock.´ It just comes and goes so quickly," Seattle 経営者／支配人 Scott Servais said. "After you´ve gone through it once or twice like we've done the last couple of years, you u nderstand it´s just about today's game first of all, then move on to the next day. You really can´t 支配（する）／統制する anything else."
No team 支配（する）／統制するs its 運命 as much as Seattle because of the schedule, though the 特別奇襲隊員s will try to 掴む that same 適切な時期.
"We´ve got a seven-game 始める，決める with the team that we need to （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 the most," Texas first baseman Nathaniel Lowe said. "It's 権利 in 前線 of us. ... It's going to a week 十分な of like just-about プレーオフ baseball."
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AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writer Kristie Rieken 与える／捧げるd to this 報告（する）／憶測.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/中心/MLB
FILE - Seattle 水夫s' Ty フラン is 迎える／歓迎するd in the dugout after 得点する／非難する／２０ing against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Seattle. 統治するing World Series 支持する／優勝者 Houston has only a half-game lead over both Seattle and Texas, who go into their series against each other this 週末 tied for the AL's third and final wild-card 位置／汚点／見つけ出す. "It's 肉親，親類d of 冷静な／正味の to see three teams fighting for one 位置／汚点／見つけ出す, two 位置／汚点／見つけ出すs with the wild card," 水夫s first baseman Ty フラン said. "It's 正確に／まさに how we 手配中の，お尋ね者 to finish, and hopefully we can take care of 商売／仕事."(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, とじ込み／提出する)
FILE - Texas 特別奇襲隊員s 経営者／支配人 Bruce Bochy, left, congratulates Mitch Garver after his 単独の ホームラン during a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023. The AL West is 始める，決める up for a wild finish over the final 10 days of the 正規の／正選手 season. 統治するing World Series 支持する／優勝者 Houston has only a half-game lead over both Seattle and Texas, who go into their series against each other this 週末 tied for the AL's third and final wild-card 位置／汚点／見つけ出す. (AP Photo/LM Otero, とじ込み／提出する)
FILE - Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve throws during batting practice, before a baseball game against the Kansas City 王室のs, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. The 統治するing World Series 支持する／優勝者 Astros will go into the final 10 days of the 正規の／正選手 season with only a half-game lead in the AL West over both Seattle and Texas after all were off Thursday, Sept. 21. "I don't think it's going be a problem for us to go out there and 焦点（を合わせる） and 勝利，勝つ some games," said Altuve, 追加するing that past success should definitely help them 負かす／撃墜する the stretch. (AP Photo/Peter Aiken, とじ込み／提出する)
Seattle 水夫s' Julio Rodriguez (44) is congratulated by J.P. Crawford (3) after hitting a ホームラン against the Oakland 運動競技のs during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Texas 特別奇襲隊員s' Josh Jung (6) and Nathaniel Lowe, 権利, celebrate their team's 15-5 勝利，勝つ in a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
