After the loss of Richard and some offensive struggles, the Astros slipped to third place in the division behind the Dodgers and the Reds. They bounced back to first with a ten-game winning streak, but the Dodgers had regained a two-game lead when they arrived in Houston on September 9. The Astros won the first two games of that series and the two teams were tied for the division lead. The Astros held a three-game lead over the Dodgers with three games left in the season against the Dodgers. The Dodgers swept the series games, forcing a one-game playoff the next day. The Astros would however win the one-game playoff 7–1, and advance to their first post-season.