Overview

• Cleveland’s 3-2 walk-off over Texas and Detroit’s win secured the AL’s final spots, eliminating Houston during the second inning of its game in Anaheim.
• Houston will miss the postseason for the first time since 2016, snapping an eight-year streak that ranked as MLB’s fourth-longest.
• The Astros led the AL West by seven games on July 6 after sweeping the Dodgers, then went 30-40 over their next 70 with a pivotal mid-September sweep by Seattle.
• Baseball Prospectus estimates nearly 13 projected WAR lost to injuries, with extended absences for Yordan Alvarez, Josh Hader, Jeremy Peña and multiple starting pitchers.
• With one game remaining, the offseason centers on health recoveries, a thinly stretched roster core and whether to retain ace Framber Valdez in free agency.