Houston Astros clinch AL West title, reach 100 wins for second straight season
TORONTO (AP) - The Houston Astros clinched another AL West title and reached 100 wins for the second straight season, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 Tuesday night behind Alex Bregman's two-run homer.
Houston improved to 100-57 and was assured of first place hours later when second-place Oakland (95-63) lost at Seattle. The Astros will open the Division Series at home against Cleveland on Oct. 5.
The Astros need three wins in their final five games to break the franchise record for victories in a season, set in 1998.
Houston is 18-4 in September and 54-22 on the road, both best in the major leagues.
Roberto Osuna needed just six pitches in the ninth for his 20th save in 21 chances. Earlier Tuesday, assault charges against Osuna were dropped because the complainant, who lives in Mexico, made clear she would not travel to Toronto to testify.
Josh James (2-0) allowed one run and four hits in five innings in his third big league start.
Bregman went 2 for 5 and extended his club-record streak of reaching base safely on the road to 53 games.
Bregman hit his 31st homer, a two-run drive in the first off Sam Gaviglio. Billy McKinney's sixth homer cut the gap in half in the third, but Houston widened its lead in the sixth when Tyler White chased Gaviglio with an RBI single and pinch-hitter Evan Gattis had a sacrifice fly off Danny Barnes.
Gaviglio (3-9) allowed four runs - three earned - and six hits in five-plus innings, his fifth straight winless outing.