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Watch live: Astros hosts Angels in Free Game of the Day

The American League West championship is officially out of reach for the Houston Astros. Without a strong finish, a potential wild card spot will slip through their fingers too. Fortunately for them, they’re set up to gain ground against an opponent they’ve dominated this season, as five of their eight remaining games come against the Los Angeles Angels.

Through 14 matchups this season, the Astors have posted an 11-3 record against the Angels. They’ll look to make it 12-3 on Saturday, when the teams meet again in the MLB Free Game of the Day at Yahoo Sports. You can stream the game at Yahoo’s Sports Home, MLB index and video home beginning at 8:10 p.m. ET.

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The Astros enter play on Saturday 2 1/2 games behind the second wild-card spot. They’re also behind three teams, as the Seattle Mariners surged ahead of them on Friday. That means the margin for error is dwindling, and threatens to continue shrinking quickly given how jammed up the race is. The Astros will also host the Mariners for three in a series that could potentially seal both teams fate if one doesn’t sweep.

For the Astros though, it truly begins and certainly could end with how they handle Mike Trout and company. As we saw on Thursday and again on Friday, Los Angeles isn’t going to roll over.

Behind seven scoreless innings from veteran right-hander Ricky Nolasco and one mammoth swing from Albert Pujols, the Angels won the opener 2-0. On Friday, Los Angeles scored six times in the ninth inning to stun Houston again, 10-6.

The Angels will try to steal another win from the Astros on Saturday. (AP)
The Angels will try to steal another win from the Astros on Saturday. (AP)

So yes, Houston has won 11 out of 14 meetings overall, but they’re now 0-2 when it matters most.

We’ve seen it a lot already this month. Teams with nothing to play for in the standings are playing with a lot of pride, and it’s having an impact on the standings. The Atlanta Braves, for example, handed the Washington Nationals two losses before completing a three-game sweep of the Mets at Citi Field. Now they’re throwing a wrench in the Miami Marlins long shot hopes after opening that series with two wins.

That’s the trap the Astros have to avoid to have any shot. So far though, they’ve walked right into it. Making matters worse, Carlos Correa aggravated his shoulder injury on Saturday and could miss time. Without him, the urgency would only be amplified while the margin for error could become suffocating.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!