Astros news: Joe Espada gets real on competitive AL West race

September 25, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

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It hasn’t been pretty, but the top of the American League West standings are competitive at least. The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are currently tied for the division lead at 79-80 overall with three games left to play in the regular season. Both teams have been eliminated from AL Wild Card contention, so only one of them can make the playoffs via a division win. Although the Astros have endured ups and downs, manager Joe Espada said there is no “sense of panic” as the ball club competes for a division title.

“You have to embrace it, you cannot run away from it, man. We don’t look at it as pressure, we look at it as an opportunity,” Espada said recently, via MLB Network Radio. “This is an opportunity for us to show our fans, our families, our teammates our commitment to winning and we are willing to do whatever it takes to get there… It’s (the pressure) part of the journey, we are not going to run away from it.

“… That’s why there isn’t really a sense of panic, it’s just an opportunity, man. Let’s embrace it.”

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The Astros began a four-game series with the Athletics on Thursday. They earned a 7-5 win on the road. They will finish the season in Sacramento as they look to keep pace with the Rangers.

Texas, meanwhile, is set to begin a three-game series against the Twins in Minnesota on Friday. Both the Twins and A’s have been underwhelming this year, so the Rangers and Astros should have opportunities to find success this weekend. Playing on the road could be a challenge, though.

It is worth mentioning that the Astros hold the tiebreaker over the Rangers.

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