With the Houston Astros‘ magic number sitting at three, the Oakland series starting on Friday can be the final hurdle to a postseason appearance and an American League West title. Winning against a division team head-to-head can double the value of the win with regards to the magic number.
With Seattle sitting in second place, a combination of an Astros win and a Seattle loss will also count double. In the best case scenario, the Astros could punch their ticket to the postseason with a win Friday and Saturday against Oakland and one Seattle loss on either of those days.