The Astros beat the Angels 7-4 on July 29, extending their winning streak to three games.
Houston fell behind 3-0 in the first inning, but answered quickly. Yainer Diaz homered in the second, Jeremy Peña added a solo shot in the third, and the Astros stayed close.
The turning point came in the sixth, when Cam Smith lined a two-run double to score Taylor Trammell and Diaz, giving Houston the lead for good.
Diaz finished 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBI.
What It Means
The Astros improved to 55-55, while the Angels fell to 46-62.
BaseChaser lists Houston at 48.0% to make the playoffs, putting the Astros right behind the cushion line.
Houston still has work to do, but three straight wins have moved the Astros into the part of the board where every result can change the shape of the race.
Track every team's playoff race with 100,000 simulations updated daily at BaseChaser.
100,000 simulations updated daily, see every team's playoff path
View MLB Playoff Odds →