Rangers Notes: Club Secures Home-Field with League’s Best Record

Sam Dyson receives congratulations from catcher Jonathan Lucroy after striking out pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe to end Friday’s 3-1 victory.

Following a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay on Friday, the Rangers secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and finished the regular season with the best record (95-67) in the American League.

Only the Cubs posted a better winning percentage (.640) than Texas, which matched the Washington Nationals with a .586 mark.

Yu Darvish notched a season-high 12 strikeouts Friday – fanning exactly half of the 24 batters he faced over six innings pitched – and delivered perhaps his most complete start since returning from Tommy John surgery.

His lone hiccup came in the top of the sixth, when Kevin Kiermaier drew a leadoff walk and was driven home on Evan Longoria’s RBI double. Darvish rebounded in a big way, striking out Brad Miller, Nick Franklin and Jaff Decker in order to end the inning.

Texas, meanwhile, jumped on Rays starter Matt Andriese for a quick tally in the bottom of the first courtesy of Adrian Beltre’s run-scoring single.

Two innings later, Carlos Beltran laced a solo home run off Andriese that sailed just inside the right-field foul pole, and Rougned Odor clubbed a towering bomb to right in the sixth inning to give the Rangers a 3-1 advantage.

Darvish’s outstanding performance was followed by stellar outings from the team’s top late-inning relievers, always a promising sign as they tune up for the postseason.

Tony Barnette and Jake Diekman combined for a scoreless top of the seventh before Matt Bush worked around another Evan Longoria double in the eighth. Closer Sam Dyson then tossed a perfect ninth inning punctuated by a swinging strikeout of Logan Forsythe to end the game.

In a matchup that seemed fated to happen, the Rangers will again take on Toronto in the American League Division Series, rekindling the fiery rivalry that began during the 2015 playoffs.

The game times and projected starting pitchers are as follows:

Game 1 – Thursday, October 6, 3:30 p.m. (TBS)
RHP Marco Estrada (9-9, 3.48 ERA) vs. LHP Cole Hamels (15-5, 3.32)

Game 2 – Friday, October 7, 12 p.m. (TBS)
LHP J.A. Happ (20-4, 3.18) vs. RHP Yu Darvish (7-5, 3.41)

Game 3 – Sunday, October 9, 6:30 p.m. (TBS)
RHP Colby Lewis (6-5, 3.71) vs. RHP Aaron Sanchez (15-2, 3.00)

Game 4 (if necessary) – Monday, October 10, Time TBD (TBS)
TBD vs. RHP Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37)

Game 5 (if necessary) – Wednesday, October 12, Time TBD (TBS)
TBD vs. TBD

Texas could either start left-hander Martin Perez in Game 4 at Rogers Centre or bring back Hamels on short rest. The latter option would allow Darvish to start a decisive Game 5, if necessary.

Rays Come Back for Series Win

On the heels of their victory Friday, the Rangers had two chances to beat Tampa Bay and match the top regular-season record in franchise history (96-66 in 2011), but the Rays bounced back to win Saturday and Sunday to take the series.

Tampa Bay rode a quality start from Jake Odorizzi and a three-run homer from Corey Dickerson to a 4-1 win on Saturday before eking out a 6-4 extra-inning victory in the rubber game.

Hanser Alberto pulled the Rangers even on Sunday with his game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth, but Tanner Scheppers permitted a pair of runs in the tenth inning to help the Rays defeat Texas.

Prior to their series with Tampa Bay, the Rangers had taken two out of three contests from the Brewers at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

Choo Activated, Poised for Playoffs

Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Friday after missing a month and a half with a fractured left forearm.

The 34-year-old Choo was hit by a pitch from Oakland’s Ross Detwiler on Aug. 15 and underwent surgery the following day, an injury that kept him from taking batting practice until late September.

He started all three games against Tampa Bay in right field, going 2-for-12 with a pair of singles and a pair of strikeouts. Choo’s availability could mean less playing time for Nomar Mazara in the upcoming division series.

Rangers Rack Up Second Straight Division Crown

Third baseman Adrian Beltre (center) celebrates with his Texas teammates in the visitors’ clubhouse following Friday’s division-clinching victory over Oakland.

For the second year in a row, Texas used a clutch pitching performance from Cole Hamels to wrap up the American League West division championship, shutting out Oakland on Friday by a 3-0 final.

With a magic number of 1 heading into play, the Rangers needed either a win or a Mariners loss in order to clinch the seventh division title in franchise history. Seattle hammered Minnesota, 10-1, so Texas and its ace left-hander controlled their own fate.

Hamels displayed his usual effectiveness after going through a string of four straight subpar starts, scattering six hits and a pair of walks over seven shutout innings. The Athletics’ Kendall Graveman outdid Hamels with six perfect frames before running into trouble in the seventh.

Consecutive singles from Carlos Gomez and Ian Desmond put runners on the corners with nobody out for Carlos Beltran, who hit an infield chopper to drive in Gomez. On the very next pitch, Adrian Beltre slugged a two-run homer off Graveman to give Texas pitchers all the support they would need.

Rookie right-hander Matt Bush followed Hamels by fanning two of the three men he faced in a spotless eighth inning, and closer Sam Dyson worked around Danny Valencia’s two-out single in the ninth to induce a game-ending grounder from Yonder Alonso.

The Rangers enjoyed a relatively subdued on-field celebration at Oakland Coliseum before heading back to the clubhouse. There they popped champagne, lit cigars and stressed the importance of achieving their ultimate goal.

“This is just the first step,” Beltre said. “We have 11 more games to win. We have a good team. We have a team good enough to win the World Series.”

Texas made its only two World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011, getting shut down by San Francisco the first year before pushing St. Louis to seven games the second. Last season marked the team’s first A.L. West title in four years, but Toronto ousted the Rangers in a five-game divisional-round matchup.

Just four players remain from the squad that captured the first A.L. pennant in 2010 (Elvis Andrus, Derek Holland, Colby Lewis and Mitch Moreland), and they’re still leading the charge in their seventh season together.

“I feel like we’ve always had a lot of emotion,” Lewis said. “We play with a lot of passion, and that’s what it’s all about. That’s what makes us good.”

The Rangers needed only 154 games to seal the division title, matching their 2011 rate for the fastest to clinch a playoff berth. They’ll play the final week of the regular season with a chance to secure the best record in the American League and, with it, home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Additionally, Jeff Banister became the fourth big-league manager since 1995 to win division titles in each of his first two seasons with a new club, joining Larry Dierker (Astros), Bob Brenley (Diamondbacks) and Ron Gardenhire (Twins).

Following Friday’s big win, Texas split the final two contests against Oakland to run its record to 92-64 on the year. Yu Darvish turned in a nine-strikeout performance Saturday as the Rangers rolled to a second straight shutout, 5-0, but the A’s stomped any hopes of a sweep with their 7-1 victory on Sunday.

Jeffress Returns from Restricted List

The bullpen received a boost when right-hander Jeremy Jeffress was reinstated from the restricted list on Friday, nearly one month after he was arrested on a driving while intoxicated charge in Dallas.

Jeffress, 29, spent the past few weeks in a Houston-area rehab facility, where he received treatment and was able to throw every day to keep his arm in shape.

When the Rangers clinched the A.L. West in Oakland, the team held a ginger ale toast so that Jeffress and fellow reliever Matt Bush – another recovering alcoholic – could celebrate before the champagne and beer were opened.

Righty Tony Barnette, meanwhile, also rejoined the Texas relief corps after being sidelined with a strained oblique muscle since early September.

Mavs Go Out in Memorable Fashion

With a 7-4 comeback win over Visalia on Saturday, Sept. 17, the High Desert Mavericks claimed the fourth and final California League title in club history.

Given a quick 1-0 lead with which to work, starter Collin Wiles dug a hole for High Desert by permitting two runs in the second inning and another in the fifth. The Mavs roared back, however, with a five-run bottom of the sixth against a combination of four Rawhide hurlers.

High Desert tied the score on a pair of bases-loaded walks drawn by Josh Morgan and Michael De Leon, then went ahead when Luke Tendler grounded into what should have been an inning-ending double play.

Visalia’s catcher forgot to tag Carlos Arroyo as he came home from third base, a miscue that set the stage for the next batter – Juremi Profar – to deliver a decisive two-run single.

The team will now depart the California League and move cross-country to Kinston, N.C., where it will change names and begin play in 2017 as part of the High-A Carolina League.

Rangers Notes: Darvish Clubs First Career Homer in Queen City

“‘Maybe I could hit one or two,’” Yu Darvish said he thought while taking batting practice ahead of his start in Cincinnati last week. “I got one.”

Yu Darvish scattered four hits across six innings of work against the Reds on Wednesday, paving the way for a 5-4 victory at Great American Ballpark.

He put his solid pitching performance on the backburner, however, with what he did at the plate.

Batting with two outs and nobody on in the fifth inning, Darvish hammered a 90-mile-per-hour fastball from right-hander Tim Adleman over the wall in straightaway center field.

The blast – which traveled an estimated 410 feet – was the first home run hit by a Texas pitcher since Bobby Witt went deep off the Dodgers’ Ismael Valdez on June 30, 1997. Witt’s homer was the first to be hit by an A.L. hurler in interleague play.

Ian Desmond followed Darvish with a solo homer of his own down the line in left, and Adrian Beltre provided the eventual winning run with an RBI double in the top of the eighth. Jake Diekman, Matt Bush and Sam Dyson each tossed an inning of shutout relief to seal the win for Texas.

After having Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2015 season, Darvish returned this summer and reported to be feeling stronger than he had in the past. The three-time All-Star felt particularly robust while taking some swings ahead of his interleague outing.

“I was thinking, ‘Am I getting bigger and stronger?’” Darvish said. “‘Maybe I could hit one or two.’ I got one.”

Wednesday’s victory helped the Rangers earn a split of their brief two-game set versus the Reds, who shut out Texas, 3-0, behind strong performances from Dan Straily and a pair of relievers on Tuesday.

Ohio native Derek Holland pitched well in his home state, permitting just one run on four hits across his six quality innings, but the Rangers failed to cash in on opportunities and stranded nine runners on base.

Texas returned to Globe Life Park and padded its division lead to 8.5 games by winning three out of four contests against the Indians over the weekend, beginning with a 9-0 blowout behind Cole Hamels on Thursday.

The southpaw issued no walks over eight scoreless frames while giving up only two hits, a single by Francisco Lindor and a single by Carlos Santana. Hamels’ teammates backed him with eight runs off Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin and one more off reliever Zach McAllister.

Former Cy Young award-winner Corey Kluber was in command Friday as the Indians routed the Rangers by a 12-1 final. Cleveland’s hitters, meanwhile, teed off against Texas pitchers, with the bottom two men in the order (Abraham Almonte and Roberto Perez) combining to go 7-for-10 with seven runs batted in.

Mitch Moreland belted a grand slam on the first pitch he saw from Carlos Carrasco Saturday, providing more than enough cushion for A.J. Griffin and the Rangers to sail to a 7-0 shutout, and RBI singles from Ian Desmond and Jonathan Lucroy lifted Texas to a slim 2-1 win Sunday afternoon.

Gomez Signed, Added to Roster

Shin-Soo Choo’s latest injury created an opening in the Rangers’ starting outfield, and to fill the void the ballclub signed two-time All-Star Carlos Gomez to a minor-league contract on Saturday, Aug. 20.

The 30-year-old Gomez had been released by Houston two days earlier, a move that was made necessary by his desultory performance at the plate this season. In 85 games for the Astros, he batted just .210 with 100 strikeouts.

Gomez was activated for Thursday’s series opener versus Cleveland and made quite the first impression, belting a three-run homer off Josh Tomlin in his very first Texas at-bat.

Outfielder Drew Stubbs was designated for assignment to clear a spot for Gomez on the 40-man roster.

Reliever Jeffress Arrested for DWI

The Texas bullpen took a hit Friday morning after right-hander Jeremy Jeffress was booked into a Dallas County jail on a driving while intoxicated charge.

He was placed on Major League Baseball’s restricted list prior to the Rangers’ matchup with the Indians that night, and southpaw Dario Alvarez was summoned from Triple-A Round Rock to take Jeffress’ spot on the roster.

Jeffress, 28, was suspended twice for positive drug tests during his time in the Brewers’ farm system, once in 2007 (50 games) and again in 2009 (100 games).

Although he was eligible to return on Saturday, Jeffress remains on the restricted list pending the outcome of MLB’s investigation into the incident.

Rangers Notes: Ceremonial First Half Ends with Lopsided Defeats

Jurickson Profar looks on as Minnesota’s Max Kepler rounds the bases following his grand slam off A.J. Griffin Sunday in Arlington.

Although the Rangers hold a multi-game lead in the American League West at this season’s All-Star break, their grip on first place is looking tenuous as their pitching staff has turned in several poor performances of late while Houston has been improving its pace of play.

The team with the worst record in the American League – the Minnesota Twins – took three out of four games from Texas over the weekend at Globe Life Park, beginning with an ugly 10-1 pounding in Thursday’s opener.

Chi Chi Gonzalez gave up two earned runs in each of the first two innings as the Twins set the tone early, forcing Gonzalez to throw 124 pitches across less than five full frames. Swingman Cesar Ramos kept the game within reach by tossing two and two-thirds innings of shutout relief, but Minnesota poured on five more runs against Shawn Tolleson in the eighth.

With his club trailing 9-0 in the top of the ninth, Rangers manager Jeff Banister turned to backup outfielder Jared Hoying to take over on the mound. Making his first pitching appearance since high school, Hoying retired the side around Kennys Vargas’ solo home run.

Texas took a back-and-forth affair Friday by a 6-5 final, although the club had to overcome a rare subpar outing from Cole Hamels to do so.

Hamels was given a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning when Rougned Odor collected an RBI triple off Kyle Gibson and scored on Prince Fielder’s single. Minnesota drew even with a pair of runs in the second, and the Rangers went back ahead on RBI singles from Shin-Soo Choo and Ian Desmond in the fourth.

One inning later, the Twins took their first lead of the ballgame when Miguel Sano slugged a three-run homer on the first pitch he saw from Hamels, who was soon replaced on the hill by Tony Barnette.

The Rangers then went in front for good by plating two runs against reliever Ryan Pressly in the bottom of the sixth. After Nomar Mazara led off with a double, Elvis Andrus tripled him home to tie the game at 6-6 and scored the go-ahead run on Bobby Wilson’s sac fly, and Sam Dyson earned the save with a perfect ninth inning.

Veteran right-hander Kyle Lohse endured a forgettable Texas debut on Saturday, permitting six earned runs on nine hits across just five innings of work.

The Rangers tried to climb back into the game, but outfielder Eddie Rosario almost single-handedly put them away with four hits and four runs scored as the Twins cruised to an 8-6 victory.

Hoping to salvage a series split Sunday afternoon, Texas started righty A.J. Griffin – who had not been tagged with a loss in his first nine outings of the year – opposite southpaw (and former Oakland teammate) Tommy Milone.

Griffin kept the Twins off the board through the first three frames before allowing a solo homer to Kennys Vargas in the fourth. One inning later, Max Kepler put the game out of reach when he slugged a two-out grand slam into the Rangers bullpen, and Minnesota scored nine more times as part of a 15-5 rout.

Prior to their series loss to the Twins, the Rangers had dropped two out of three contests at Fenway Park in Boston. The Red Sox won by blowout finals of 12-5 and 11-6 around Texas’ 7-2 victory last Tuesday.

Texas Swaps Ciriaco for Pitching Help

The Rangers on Friday acquired left-hander Eric Jokisch from the Miami Marlins in exchange for versatile infielder Pedro Ciriaco, and Jokisch was assigned by Texas to Triple-A Round Rock.

Jokisch, 26, had been designated for assignment by Miami earlier in the week when the team needed an active roster spot for infielder Don Kelly.

In 18 relief appearances this season for Triple-A New Orleans in the Marlins’ organization, Jokisch compiled a 2-0 record with a 2.64 earned run average across 30 and one-third innings pitched.

Also Friday, right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez was optioned to Round Rock while lefty reliever Alex Claudio was recalled. Kyle Lohse was called up after the game that night as Nick Martinez was sent down.

Rangers Lend a Hand in A.L. Win

Texas southpaw Cole Hamels struck out Chicago’s Kris Bryant during his shutout inning of work in Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Petco Park, a 4-2 victory for the American League over the National League.

Hamels yielded a single and a double to put runners on second and third with two outs before he got Bryant to swing through a changeup and end the frame.

Outfielder Ian Desmond, meanwhile, was 0-for-1 at the plate – grounding into a force out versus Jon Lester – and handled two chances cleanly in center field.

Pomeranz No Longer a Trade Option

The Rangers were reported to have interest in Padres left-hander Drew Pomeranz, but any hope that he would join the Texas staff was dashed Thursday when Boston acquired the All-Star from San Diego.

With more than two weeks to go until the non-waiver trade deadline (which is delayed until Aug. 1 this year because Jul. 31 falls on a Sunday), the Rangers are expected to be in the market for starters, relievers or a front-line starting catcher.

The ever-churning rumor mill has linked Texas to pitchers Rich Hill, Matt Moore, Jake Odorizzi and Ervin Santana as well as backstop Jonathan Lucroy.

Rangers Notes: Injuries to Rotation Can’t Spoil Winning Vibes

Colby Lewis took a no-hitter into the ninth inning on Jun. 16, then allowed six earned runs in his most recent outing.

The depth of the Texas starting rotation took a significant hit Wednesday when it was announced that Colby Lewis will be shelved up to two months with a strained lat muscle.

That news came just hours after left-hander Derek Holland was put on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder.

Holland started Monday’s makeup game versus the Orioles and yielded three runs on nine base hits with a pair of walks before he was pulled in the top of the fifth. Although Texas rallied to win, 4-3, it marked Holland’s third straight appearance of multiple earned runs across five or less innings pitched.

“We are doing it as a precaution,” he said of his trip to the disabled list. “It’s been going on a little bit. It’s not something I couldn’t pitch through. … But I wasn’t doing a good job.”

Right-handed reliever Luke Jackson was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to replace Holland on the Rangers’ active roster.

Lewis, meanwhile, endured one of his worst outings of the season on Tuesday against Cincinnati at Globe Life Park, getting rocked for six earned runs in just five innings of work. He gave up a three-run homer to Jay Bruce in the top of the first while Anthony DeSclafani led the Reds to an 8-2 win.

The 36-year-old Lewis said he felt cramping in his throwing arm during Tuesday’s start, and an MRI performed Wednesday revealed the strained muscle in his back. While he will avoid surgery, Lewis won’t be able to throw again for at least four weeks.

Sandwiched in between the slices of bad news regarding Holland and Lewis was a 6-4 Texas victory behind Cole Hamels, who struck out eight batters Wednesday and scattered five hits over his six quality frames.

The Rangers produced four runs off Cincinnati’s Dan Straily in the bottom of the fourth, a rally that was triggered when Straily loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter to begin the inning. Ian Desmond and Shin-Soo Choo later hit solo homers to give the Texas bullpen some breathing room.

Following the brief visits by Baltimore and Cincinnati, the Rangers dropped the opener of a three-game series against Boston in gut-wrenching fashion Friday, squandering a three-run lead in the ninth inning as Mookie Betts homered off Matt Bush to tie the game.

Dustin Pedroia then drew a walk, moved to third base on a single, and came home to score the go-ahead run when Bush uncorked a wild pitch to David Ortiz, giving the Red Sox an 8-7 come-from-behind victory.

Right-hander A.J. Griffin returned from a bout of shoulder stiffness to start in place of Holland on Saturday while Lewis was officially put on the 15-day disabled list in a corresponding roster move. Griffin recorded six strikeouts before he was pulled with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth.

Luke Jackson got Pedroia to ground into an inning-ending double play, and Texas increased what had been a slim lead with five runs off American League ERA leader Steven Wright in the bottom of the frame.

Swingman Cesar Ramos earned the victory with two and two-thirds innings of shutout relief as the Rangers cruised to a 10-3 win.

In Sunday’s rubber match, the Texas lineup jumped on Clay Buchholz for three runs before he recorded an out in the first inning, and Prince Fielder later slugged a two-run homer to pave the way for a 6-2 victory to take the series.

The team will now travel to New York for a four-game set beginning Monday, when Chi Chi Gonzalez – taking Lewis’ spot in the rotation – is expected to make his first big-league start of the season opposite Ivan Nova.

Club Keeps Racking Up Double Plays

Texas turned five more double plays during the Boston series and continues to lead Major League Baseball with 99 twin killings across its first 76 games this year.

The franchise record for double plays turned in a season is 191, a mark set in 2008 with an infield headlined by the All-Star tandem of Ian Kinsler at second base and Michael Young at shortstop.

The current infield quartet (Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor and Mitch Moreland) consists of players who are all above-average defenders, but Rangers hurlers have helped the cause by consistently pitching to low contact.

Southpaw Martin Perez leads both leagues with 19 double plays turned behind him, followed by Carlos Martinez (18) of the Cardinals and Mike Pelfrey (16) of the Tigers.

Rangers Make Strides in All-Star Voting

It appears unlikely that Texas will send a starting position player to this year’s All-Star Game in San Diego, but outfielder Ian Desmond and third baseman Adrian Beltre have both climbed in the vote totals and could land a spot on the American League bench.

Desmond (1,133,422) and Beltre (1,099,086) are the Rangers’ leading vote-getters according to the most recent totals released Monday, followed by shortstop Elvis Andrus (917,112) and catcher Robinson Chirinos (511,308).

The 87th midsummer classic will be held on Tuesday, Jul. 12, at Petco Park.