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MLB Wrap: Altuve hits HR, Astros beat Rays 4-0 to clinch AL West title

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a leadoff homer and the Houston Astros clinched their fifth AL West title in six years, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-0 on Monday night.

Headed to the postseason for the sixth straight season, Houston won for the eighth time in nine games and improved the AL’s best record to 97-51.

Luis Garcia (13-8) won his fifth straight decision, giving up two hits and four walks in five innings while striking out four. Hunter Brown pitched three innings and Hector Neris finished the five-hitter, the Astros 16th shutout this season.

Tampa Bay (82-65) is in position for the second of three AL wild card berths, one game behind Toronto (83-64) and a half-game ahead of Seattle (81-65). Jose Ramirez had three of the Rays’ five hits.

Drew Rasmussen (10-6) gave up four runs and six hits in six innings. He has allowed four runs in consecutive starts and giving up three runs or fewer during 11 in a row.

BRAVES 5, NATIONALS 2

ATLANTA (AP) — Kyle Wright won his major league-leading 19th game, Austin Riley and Eddie Rosario homered and Atlanta beat Washington.

The defending World Series champions won their ninth straight home game to improve to 92-55.

Wright (19-5) won his sixth consecutive decision, allowing two runs and eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in six innings. The Braves improved to 22-6 in Wright’s starts this season, including seven straight wins. Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his NL-leading 35th save in 42 chances.

Riley hit his 37th homer, second-best in the NL, and his eighth against the Nationals in 14 games this year.

Last-place Washington dropped to 51-96 and lost for the seventh time in nine games.

GUARDIANS 11, TWINS 4

CLEVELAND (AP) — Josh Naylor and Amed Rosario hit three-run homers, Cal Quantrill kept his home unbeaten streak intact and Cleveland thumped Minnesota, taking four of five in the series from an AL Central pursuer.

Naylor homered in the first inning off Sonny Gray (8-5) and Rosario connected in the sixth off rookie Ronny Henriquez to make it 7-3 as the first-place Guardians opened a four-game division lead.

Nick Gordon homered off Quantrill (13-5) for the Twins, who came to town hoping to cut into the Guardians’ lead but left further behind. Cleveland went 13-6 against Minnesota, winning nine of the last 10.

Quantrill stuck around until the sixth and improved to 13-0 in 32 starts at Progressive Field. The right-hander is one win shy of matching Vic Raschi’s record for dominance in one ballpark. Raschi went 14-0 at Comiskey Park from 1947-55. Sam Hentgen got seven straight outs for his first professional save.

MARINERS 9, ANGELS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Carlos Santana homered twice, including his first grand slam in three years, Ty France drove in four runs and Seattle stopped a three-game losing streak.

Santana had the 15th multi-homer game of his 13-year career and fourth this season. He has seven homers in his last nine games and has hit 15 of his 19 home runs this season since Seattle acquired him from Kansas City in late June.

Logan Gilbert struck out a career-high, allowing one run and four hits in six innings and helping prevent the Mariners from being swept in a four-game series at Angel Stadium for the first time in 10 years.

Seattle (81-65) opened a 4 1/2-game lead over Baltimore for the AL’s final wild card spot. The Orioles played Detroit later Monday.

Shohei Ohtani had two hits and scored in the sixth inning. The reigning AL MVP has hit safely in his last five games and is 6 for 17 during that span. Mike Trout was not in the lineup due to a planned rest day.

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