HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Entering play on Tuesday the Astros held a one game lead over the Chicago White Sox for the second best record in the American League, which would give them home field advantage in the American League Division Series, but Dusty Baker has his eye on something else.
"We still may get the best record, you don't know how this is going to shake out."
With just 25 games left in the regular season, the Astros trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 6.5 games for the league's top record. That's a bigger advantage than the Astros lead over Seattle in the American League West, which FanGraphs gives them a 97.2 percent of hanging onto, though the Astros manager isn't deterred.
"Somebody can get cold, somebody can get hot, and then we still got three games with Tampa Bay (in Houston), so you don't know."
Only the White Sox and Rays are better than the Astros 17 games over .500 at home this season, and while Tampa has been almost as good away from Tropicana Field as it is there, the White Sox are just 33-34 away from home, which could make staying in front of Chicago crucial to the Astros World Series aspirations.
"You want every advantage you can get," Baker said. "Whether you're playing the White Sox, who are tough at home or Tampa Bay, they're tough at home and road, you want every advantage, especially the way we're much more loved at home than we are abroad."
The Astros are 14-10 at Minute Maid Park in the playoffs since joining the American League.
