Astros vs Orioles Recap: Two Teams, Two Playoff Journeys
In a thrilling night of baseball, both the Houston Astros and Baltimore Orioles secured their places in the postseason. The Astros clinched their fourth consecutive AL West title with a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners, while the Orioles solidified their second straight playoff berth by defeating the New York Yankees 5-3. Despite different paths, both teams demonstrated resilience and skill, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting postseason. Houston overcame early-season struggles, and Baltimore continues its upward trajectory in the competitive AL East.
The Baltimore Orioles secured their second consecutive playoff berth on Tuesday night, defeating the New York Yankees 5-3 at Yankee Stadium. Despite Aaron Judge’s league-leading 56th home run, the Orioles held on to claim the victory. Nine minutes after their win, Minnesota’s loss to Miami confirmed Baltimore’s spot in the postseason, at least securing a wild card in the American League.
Anthony Santander hit his 44th home run of the season, while Ramón Urías and Colton Cowser also contributed to the Orioles’ offensive firepower. With this win, Baltimore improved to 87-80, moving five games behind the AL East-leading Yankees (92-65) with just five games remaining in the regular season. While Baltimore secured the season series and tiebreaker against New York, they would need a perfect 5-0 finish while the Yankees go winless to claim the division title.
New York, already assured of a playoff spot after clinching last week, needs just one more win to capture the AL East title. Baltimore’s victory snapped a tough stretch in which they had lost seven of their last 10 games.
Santander’s homer off Clarke Schmidt (5-5) in the sixth inning was a towering shot off the right-field foul pole. Eligible for free agency after the season, Santander has posted career-high numbers in both home runs and RBIs (100) this season.
Urías extended Baltimore’s lead with a solo home run in the seventh, making it 4-1. However, the Yankees fought back in the bottom half of the inning with a two-out RBI double by Gleyber Torres and a run-scoring single from Juan Soto, cutting the deficit to 4-3. In a critical defensive play, Soto advanced to second on a throw home, but Torres was tagged out in a rundown between third and home, preventing Aaron Judge from batting with two on.
Four straight AL West titles for the Houston @Astros 👏
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— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2024
Colton Cowser sealed the win for Baltimore with a solo shot off Ian Hamilton in the eighth inning. Starting pitcher Dean Kremer (8-10) gave up just one run over five innings, while Seranthony Domínguez, Baltimore’s seventh pitcher of the night, secured his 11th save in 13 chances.
Meanwhile, in Houston, the Astros clinched their fourth straight AL West title with a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Despite a rough start to the season, the Astros have now reached the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.
Houston’s manager, Joe Espada, praised the team’s resilience: “Winning the division is always our goal when we start spring training. Our commitment and purpose have driven us all season.”
The Astros began the season poorly, going 7-19, and at one point trailed the Mariners by 10 games. However, they turned things around in July, eventually overtaking Seattle in mid-August. Houston has gone 79-53 since then to secure the division crown.
Despite multiple injuries to their pitching staff and lineup, the Astros continued to thrive under Espada, who replaced retired manager Dusty Baker this season. Houston aims for its third World Series title, having previously won in 2017 and 2022.
With seven consecutive AL Championship Series appearances, the Astros are again poised to make a deep playoff run. They look to add another chapter to their already impressive legacy as one of baseball’s modern dynasties.
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