By TIM BOOTH
SEATTLE (AP) _ Marco Gonzales threw eight shutout innings, Evan White broke open a tight game with a three-run homer in the seventh and the Seattle Mariners beat the Houston Astros 6-1 on Monday night. Seattle’s victory clinched the AL West title for Oakland, ending Houston’s three-year run atop the division and making the A’s the first team in the majors to lock up a first-place finish in this pandemic-shortened season. The win also improved Seattle’s slim hopes of catching Houston for second place and a guaranteed playoff spot. The Mariners are three games behind the Astros with six remaining. Seattle beat Houston for only the third time in the past 27 matchups over the last two seasons.