The Houston Astros' playoff odds have plummeted after getting swept by the Kansas City Royals. With only six games remaining, the next series vs the Seattle Mariners may very well decide who will and won't make the postseason.
Going into Sunday's game vs the Royals, the Astros had around a 70 percent chance to make the postseason, but concluding the sweep, they now only have a 59.9 percent chance of making it, according to FanGraphs.
In the Astros' last 30 games, they have struggled, holding a record of 14-16, while their odds have dropped from a near postseason guarantee to questionable at best. In the last 10 games, they also haven't performed well, with a record of 3-7.
Houston is fighting for the third wild-card spot, and their main competition is the Mariners, who are just a half-game behind.
Remaining games left for the Astros as playoff hopes dwindle
With the series vs the Mariners, it could be a winner-take-all matchup if one of the teams could sweep the other. After this series, Houston then has to face the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are themselves also trying to clinch a postseason spot.
The Astros have six games remaining vs. two teams in postseason contention, which means someone is getting eliminated depending on their success.
Justin Verlander and other Astros starters must step up even more after the series sweep against the Royals because in that matchup, Houston's bullpen gave up no runs, while the starting rotation struggled mightily. The Astros also need their hitters to step up because during the Royals series, they left 21 runners on base and could have won if they could score more.
Dusty Baker needs to step up and make sure to also put the right players in each game. With only six games left, if he makes any bad decisions, they will miss the postseason after winning the World Series in 2022.
