Astros clinch 3rd straight AL West title

The Houston Astros won their third straight American League West title after beating the Los Angeles Angels 13-5 on Sunday.

It's the second time the Astros have won three straight divisional titles. They did the same from 1997-99 when they played in the National League Central.

The Astros (102-54) have recorded at least 100 wins in all three years during their reign at the top of the AL West.

The club's offense has been powered by the long ball all season with four players hitting 30-plus home runs, and seven with over 20. Outfielder George Springer went deep three times in the first four innings versus the Angels to give him 38 homers.

MVP candidate Alex Bregman also went deep for a team-leading 39th time.

Ace Justin Verlander had nothing but praise for Springer after the game as the team celebrated in the clubhouse.

"George is special. I just told him just now how amazing he is," he said, according to Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle. "He can change the game from the first swing of the game ... When he's going good, I don't know if there's anybody else on the planet you'd rather have at the plate in a big situation."

On the mound, Verlander and Gerrit Cole have been the toast of the AL. The former won his 20th game on Sunday - for only the second time in his 15-year career - while the latter is the only pitcher with 300-plus strikeouts this campaign.

Houston went 60-21 at Minute Maid Park in 2019, joining the 1998 New York Yankees as the only teams in the last 40 years to win as many as 60 games at home, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.

The Astros won 32 out of 38 contests against divisional opponents at home. Overall, the team has a 51-19 record against the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and Angels with six games remaining in the regular season.