MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Texas Rangers' quest for an AL West title — and a .500 record — will go down to the final day of the regular season.
Danny Jansen homered and drove in two runs, and Jake Burger also went deep in a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
Texas is 80-81 heading into Sunday's regular-season finale at Minnesota. Houston is also 80-81 going into its final game at the Athletics and holds the tiebreaker over the Rangers because
the Astros won their season series.
That means Texas needs a win and a Houston loss Sunday to make the playoffs.
“We're here, and it's a chance, and we're excited for it,” Jansen said after his team's victory but before the Astros routed the A's 13-2. “I've never been a part of a game like this, but it's going to be a lot of fun to go out there and leave it all on the field and control what we can.”
Left-hander MacKenzie Gore (8-11, 4.59) ERA starts for the Rangers on Sunday and right-hander Dean Kremer (4-5, 4.97) for the Twins. The AL West winner will have the lowest winning percentage for a postseason team in a non-shortened season, below the .506 (82-80) for the 2005 San Diego Padres.
“I always say, you worry about tomorrow tomorrow. You have to win today,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “Tomorrow's pretty important, too.”
Making his first start since Aug. 7, Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi went 4 1/3 innings and allowed a first-inning run. Left-hander Robert Garcia earned the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.
Brandon Nimmo had an RBI double and made a diving, backhand catch for the final out of the third inning as he tumbled over in right field to deny Kody Clemens, saving two runs. Nimmo played despite cramping.
Nicky Lopez, who hit a two-out double in the second and scored the Rangers' first run, was removed in the middle of the fourth after injuring his left leg while stepping awkwardly on first base.
The bottom three batters in Texas’ starting lineup went 6 for 11 with four RBIs and four runs.
“Today was a big win. Tomorrow's an even bigger one,” Lopez said. “We didn't want to think about tomorrow until we finished today. I think we did a good job.”
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