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 Héctor 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). José Ramírez 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. METS 7, BREWERS 2 MILWAUKEE (AP) – Max Scherzer was pulled from his 200th win with a perfect game intact, and New York clinched its first playoff berth in six years. Reinstated from the injured list before the game, Scherzer (10-4) struck out nine in six innings. The 38-year-old ace threw only 68 pitches, but that was as far as the NL East leaders let him go in his first start in 16 days. Christian Yelich doubled leading off the seventh against Tylor Megill, making his first major league relief appearance after 27 starts. Megill also came off the injured list Monday. Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer off reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes (10-8), and the Mets won their fifth straight to wrap up at least one of the three National League wild cards. They lead the NL East by one game over defending World Series champion, Atlanta, which beat Washington 5-2 at home. It is the 10th postseason appearance in the franchise’s 61-season history, and first since the Mets lost to San Francisco in the 2016 NL wild-card game. 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. DODGERS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 2 LOS ANGELES (AP) – Clayton Kershaw struck out 10 and Chris Taylor blasted a three-run homer which the Dodgers successfully challenged a fan interference call. The Dodgers have beaten the D-backs in 19 of their last 20 meetings at Dodger Stadium. They improved to 12-3 against Arizona this season. Kershaw (9-3) allowed one run and six hits in six innings to earn his second straight win after a loss and four no-decisions dating to July 24. His strikeouts tied for his second-most of the season. Closer Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth and gave up a leadoff single and then hit two straight batters to load the bases. Gavin Lux made a diving stab on pinch-hitter Sergio Alcantara, who grounded into a double play, before Daulton Varsho popped up to end it. On a night when the Dodgers’ power trio of Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman went a combined 1 for 11 with a walk and two strikeouts, the lower half of the order produced. Lux had three hits from the No. 7 spot.