BOSTON — Jose Altuve ran away with the AL batting title.
The AL West race wasn’t any closer.
Altuve coasted to his third AL batting crown despite going hitless in two at-bats and the Houston Astros rallied for their 101st win on Sunday, cruising into the playoffs with a 4-3 victory over Boston in a preview of the Division Series matchup.
“This is the first time I’ve won a batting title and the team’s going to go to the playoffs,” said Altuve, who is also among the favorites for the AL MVP.
“I think every single player in the big leagues, after they win a World Series, would like to win an MVP. ”
The Astros posted their best record since earning 102 victories in 1998, winning the division by 21 games over the second-place Los Angeles Angels.
Altuve finished the season with a .346 average to easily win the batting title over Avasail Garcia of the Chicago White Sox; Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon was the best in the NL, at .331. The Astros second baseman is the third right-handed hitter since 1900 to win three or more batting titles.
“He’s just been consistent,” Astros starter Collin McHugh (5-2) said. “He’s as consistent a player as there is in major league baseball.”
One day after the Red Sox won to clinch the first back-to-back AL East titles in franchise history, the teams used lineups filled largely with backups. Houston had already replaced starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel with McHugh, and Boston Manager John Farrell scratched ace Chris Sale after Saturday’s win so he could rest up for the playoffs.
“We had planned to give a number of guys a day off after we did clinch,” Farrell said. “But you’re still looking to evaluate all the way through the final out. … While it might have been a little bit more relaxing, you’re still going out to try and compete and try to win a ballgame.”
The Astros scored four times in the seventh inning to rally from a three-run deficit. Yuli Gurriel had two doubles and the go-ahead sacrifice fly for Houston, which won the four-game series 3-1 and took the season series against Boston 4-3.
McHugh pitched six innings, allowing three runs to improve to 16-0 in September and October since 2014. Tyler Clippard pitched the ninth for his fifth save for Houston.
Houston started four regulars, and Boston started two.
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