Texas Rangers Lose, Hold Ground in American League West Title Chase

The top three teams in the American League West fell on Friday, meaning the Texas Rangers lost no ground in the division or Wild Card races.

The Texas Rangers saw their six-game winning streak snapped on Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians, but didn’t lose any ground in the playoff race.

The Rangers (82-65) had played their way within one-half game of the Houston Astros (83-65) in the American League West. But after the loss in Cleveland, the Rangers were at the mercy of the Kansas City Royals.

Well, the Royals beat the Astros 4-2. That kept the race for the top of the division static.

The Rangers didn't lose any playoff ground despite Friday's 12-3 loss at Cleveland / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Rangers’ loss did allow Houston to trim their magic number by one to clinch the AL West.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners (81-66) were up late — at least from a Rangers perspective — as they hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mariners ended up with a 6-3 loss.

The AL Wild Card race may be poised for a shake-up, at least at the top. The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles and are now just two percentage points behind the O’s for the AL East lead. For now, the O’s remain at the top of the AL East. But the Rays are now close enough to flip the Orioles out of the division lead and into the top Wild Card spot.

For the Rangers, they held steady in the Wild Card hunt in second place.

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. 16

Friday’s AL West results

• Cleveland 12, Texas 3
• Kansas City 4, Houston 2
• Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Seattle 3

AL West Standings (Magic Number)

• Houston (83-65): — (15)
• Texas (82-65): 0.5 GB
• Seattle (81-66): 1.5 GB

What’s Left?

• Houston (14): Saturday-Sunday: at Kansas City (2); Sept. 18-20: vs. Baltimore (3); Sept. 22-24: vs. Kansas City (3); Sept. 25-27: at Seattle (3); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Arizona (3)
• Seattle (15): Saturday-Sunday: vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2); Sept. 18-20: at Oakland (3); Sept. 22-24: at Texas (3); Sept. 25-27: vs. Houston (3); Sept. 28-Oct. 1: vs. Texas (4)
• Texas (15): Saturday-Sunday: at Cleveland (2); Sept. 18-20: vs. Boston (3); Sept. 22-24: vs. Seattle (3); Sept. 25-27: at Los Angeles Angels (3); Sept. 28-Oct. 1: at Seattle (4)

AL Wild Card Race as of Sept. 16 (Top three teams)

Friday’s other key AL Wild Card results

• Tampa Bay 7, Baltimore 1
• Toronto 3, Boston 0

Wild Card Standings (Magic Number)

• Tampa Bay (92-57): +9.5 (4)
• Texas (82-65): +1.0 (14)
• Seattle (81-66): — (15)
• Toronto (81-67): 0.5 GB

What’s Left?

• Tampa Bay (13): Saturday-Sunday: at Baltimore (2); Sept. 19-21: vs. Los Angeles Angels (3); Sept. 22-24: vs. Toronto (3); Sept. 26-27: vs. Boston (2); Sept. 29-Oct. 1: at Toronto (3)
• Toronto (14): Saturday-Sunday: vs. Boston (2); Sept. 19-21: at New York Yankees (3); Sept. 22-24: at Tampa Bay (3); Sept. 26-28: 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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