Houston Astros catch up with Seattle Mariners in near record time

From May 12 to July 19, the Seattle Mariners sat alone atop the American League West division.

That 68-day reign ended Friday, when the Houston Astros proved once again that they couldn’t be pushed back so easily.

The Astros traveled to Seattle and won the first game of their series against the Mariners, emerging from the All-Star break with a 3-0 victory. The Mariners got just four hits from Astros starter Hunter Brown, then failed to do any damage against Houston’s bullpen.

As a result, Seattle fell to 52-47 on the season, while Houston improved to 51-46. While technically tied in the standings, the Astros have a slight advantage in points percentage.

On June 19, Houston was 10.0 games behind Seattle. It took them just 24 games to completely overcome that deficit, earning a place in the history books.

According to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, those 24 games are tied for the third-fewest games a team has managed to erase a 10-plus game division deficit since the divisions were created in 1969. The 1982 Los Angeles Dodgers hold the record with 13 games, while the 1993 Boston Red Sox needed just 20 games.

To top it all off, the Mariners were eliminated from the playoffs following their loss on Friday night. They are now 2.5 games out of the third and final American League wild card spot, which currently belongs to the Red Sox.

The Kansas City Royals also sit between Seattle and Boston, so regaining the division lead could be crucial for the Mariners late in the season.

The same goes for the Astros, who are off to their worst start in 55 years with a 7-19 record. The worst start to a 26-game season for a potential playoff team was the Oakland Athletics with an 8-18 record in 2001, so Houston would make history no matter how they claim a playoff spot.

The Astros have appeared in the ALCS seven straight years, winning four American League titles and two World Series, while the Mariners have appeared in the playoffs just once in the last 23 seasons.

Continue to follow our coverage of Fastball on FanNation on social media by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.