You can throw out the statistics when Ozzie Albies and Jose Altuve meet at second base. They say Braves second baseman Albies is 5-foot-7 and Altuve, his Astros counterpart, is 5-foot-6.

The Astros are all but assured of their ninth consecutive postseason berth, and Altuve has consistently delivered in October. The Astros’ perennial deep playoff runs — last year marked the first time that Houston didn’t play in the ALCS since missing the 2016 postseason — and he has the numbers to show it.

The Seattle Mariners had been gradually shrinking the gap in the American League West, and in a Thursday night thriller, they finally caught the Astros (79-68). Fans can certainly point to injuries, as Houston has been without impactful contributors for large stretches of the season, but the lineup is also underachieving.

A first-inning miscue that saw a catchable ball drop in shallow right field was a sign of how the series finale against the Blue Jays would go on Thursday afternoon. With Toronto already up by one run in the bottom of the first,