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: Young Hurler Ortiz Taken with First Pick

High school pitcher Luis Ortiz recorded 72 strikeouts with just seven walks this season.

The Rangers made a total of 40 selection in this summer’s first-year player draft, including right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz with their first pick (30th overall) and shortstop Ti’quan Forbes with their second pick (59th overall).

Ortiz, an 18-year-old out of Sanger High School in California, is considered a strike-thrower who features a slider and changeup to go along with a fastball in the low- to mid-90s. He had signed a letter of intent last November to pitch at Fresno State, but on Wednesday agreed to a deal with Texas that included a $1.75 million signing bonus.

“I think he’s shown a commitment to being the best he can be,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said of Ortiz. “When you see something like that, this is a kid looking at it as being a long-time career and profession rather than just a hobby or high school baseball. He put the work in, and the results showed.”

Ortiz struck out 72 batters and posted an earned run average of 1.04 across 43-plus innings pitched for Sanger this season, and he will head to the Rangers’ Arizona Fall League after his high school graduation this weekend.

As for Forbes, the 17-year-old is a lanky high school product from Columbia, Miss., and while he had made a commitment to play at Ole Miss, like Ortiz he will forgo a potential athletic scholarship in order to begin his professional career.

“I’m ready to chase my dream of playing in the big leagues,” he said. “It’s a dream come true to get drafted by the Rangers and now I just want to get it started.”

In 33 games as a senior this season, Forbes batted .427 with three home runs, 14 stolen bases and 49 runs scored. He also anchored the Columbia High School pitching staff, compiling a 2.02 ERA with 55 strikeouts over 45 innings of work.

Texas rounded out its first 10 picks in the draft with shortstop Josh Morgan, left-handers Brett Martin and Wesley Benjamin, third baseman Jose Trevino, right-handers Nick Green and Erik Swanson, outfielder Doug Votoloto and catcher Seth Spivey.

Darvish’s Gem Highlights Poor Homestand

The Rangers lost six out of nine games on their recently-completed homestand, winning just one contest in each of the three series against Baltimore, Cleveland and Miami.

Texas took the opener against the Indians last Friday at Globe Life Park in Arlington, 6-4, behind a two-out, go-ahead solo homer from Michael Choice in the seventh inning. Choice and second baseman Rougned Odor both finished with two RBIs in the game.

Nick Tepesch and Robbie Ross were each roughed up in Saturday’s 8-3 loss to Cleveland, and although the Rangers were able to keep Sunday afternoon’s contest closer, Joe Saunders was outpitched by Justin Masterson in a 3-2 win for the Indians.

Third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall was a one-man wrecking crew for Cleveland on Monday night, belting three home runs and collecting nine RBIs as the Tribe cruised to a 17-7 victory in the series finale.

The Marlins made a rare visit to North Texas for a two-game set this week and took the opener Tuesday by an 8-5 final. The Rangers rallied to go ahead with four runs in the sixth inning, but Christian Yellich put Miami back in front for good with a two-run single in the seventh.

Yu Darvish was the star Wednesday as he tossed the first complete-game shutout of his career, blanking the Marlins 6-0 while scattering six hits and recording 10 strikeouts. Darvish received support in the form of four RBIs from Shin-Soo Choo and benefitted from three double plays turned behind him.

Moreland, Scheppers Add to Growing DL

First baseman Mitch Moreland became the latest Texas player to hit the disabled list this season when he was placed on the DL last Tuesday (retroactive to Jun. 8), and he was followed by right-hander Tanner Scheppers on Wednesday.

Moreland has been dealing with pain in his left ankle all year and finally decided last weekend to undergo surgery. He was originally slated to have a reconstructive procedure that could have kept him out for the season, but may opt for a lesser operation in an attempt to return this summer.

Scheppers, meanwhile, is headed back to the DL with right elbow inflammation less than one week after returning from the same problem. The Rangers’ Opening Day starter, Scheppers was first sidelined in April and made just four relief appearances upon his return earlier this month.

Infielder Brad Snyder and right-hander Ben Rowen were called up from Triple-A Round Rock in order to replace Moreland and Scheppers, respectively, on the ballclub’s active roster.