Texas Rangers Shake Up American League West Race, Lower Magic Number

The Texas Rangers are back in first place in the American League West by the slimmest of margins over the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners.

The Texas Rangers lead the American League West outright for the first time since Aug. 24.

The Rangers (85-68) beat the Seattle Mariners on Friday. But in order to move into the league in the division they needed help down in Houston — and they got it.

The Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros on Friday night, flipping the defending champs into chase mode and putting the Rangers back in the spot they had occupied most of the season.

As a result, the Rangers now have a magic number of nine to clinch the AL West — assuming they can keep the lead.

The race is by no means done. The Astros are only half-game back. The Mariners are just one game back.

The AL Wild Card race also remains tight, with the Astros now in the final Wild Card spot and the Mariners a half-game behind. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays are a game ahead of the Astros. The Blue Jays kept the Tampa Bay Bays from clinching the top Wild Card spot on Friday.

Below is an update on the race, with the current standings, magic numbers to clinch the AL West and a Wild Card berth, along with the remaining schedules for the teams that are still in the race.

The AL West Race as of Sept. 23

Friday’s AL West results

• Texas 8, Seattle 5
• Kansas City 7, Houston 5

AL West Standings (Magic Number)

• Texas (85-68): — (9)
• Houston (85-69): 0.5 GB
• Seattle (84-69): 1.0 GB

What’s Left?

• Houston (8): Saturday-Sunday: vs. Kansas City (2); Monday-Wednesday: at Seattle (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Arizona (3)
• Seattle (9): Saturday-Sunday: at Texas (2); Monday-Wednesday: vs. Houston (3); Sept. 28-Oct. 1: vs. Texas (4)
• Texas (9): Saturday-Sunday: vs. Seattle (2); Monday-Wednesday: at Los Angeles Angels (3); Sept. 28-Oct. 1: at Seattle (4)

AL Wild Card Race as of Sept. 23

Friday’s other key AL Wild Card results

• Toronto 6, Tampa Bay 2

AL Wild Card Standings (Magic Number)

• Tampa Bay (94-61): +8.5*
• Toronto (86-68): +1.0 (8)
• Houston (85-69): — (9)
• Seattle (84-69): 0.5 GB

*-Clinched playoff berth; seeding still TBA

What’s Left?

• Tampa Bay (7): Saturday-Sunday: vs. Toronto (2); Tuesday-Wednesday: vs. Boston (2); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Toronto (3)
• Toronto (8): Saturday-Sunday: at Tampa Bay (2); Tuesday-Thursday: vs. New York Yankees (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: vs. Tampa Bay (3)

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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