HOUSTON — The Houston Astros are back in the MLB playoffs for the eighth straight season.
With a win over the Mariners in the 158th game of the season, Houston sealed up its fourth straight American League West division title.
The 2024 playoffs begin on Oct. 1 when all four Wild Card matchups will begin. All games of the best-of-three series will be played at Minute Maid Park.
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As the division champs with the worst record, the Astros are locked in as the No. 3 seed in the AL playoff bracket. The Cleveland Guardians and either the Baltimore Orioles or New York Yankees will be the top two seeds in the AL and will not have to play in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.
The rest of the AL playoff picture remains murky. Whichever team loses the AL East -- the Orioles or Yankees -- will play in the Wild Card round.
The rest of the Wild Card spots are unclaimed with five games or fewer remaining for the teams still in the hunt.
The Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays all remain in the hunt for the Wild Card spots, although the chances for Boston and Tampa Bay each sit at less than 1%.
The Astros will face the last team into the playoffs -- the third Wild Card team.
The Astros are looking to advance to their eighth straight AL Championship Series and their fifth World Series since 2017.