Rangers Cut into Astros’ AL West Lead After Blasting Athletics

The Texas Rangers are working to do everything they possibly can to make a comeback in the AL West and in the AL wild card race.

Texas Rangers infielder Dylan Moore (25) reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the ninth inning at Sutter Health Park. | Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Magic numbers really don't do the Texas Rangers much good right now. The only thing that will help them is winning as many games as possible down the stretch.

Texas helped itself immensely on Saturday night. The Rangers (70-67) beat the Athletics, 9-3, while both the AL West-leading Houston Astros and second-place Seattle Mariners both lost. That helped the Rangers as a matchup with the Houston Astros creeps up next weekend.

Where Rangers Stand in AL West Race

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Texas, which won the 2023 World Series but failed to make the playoffs last year, has two pathways to make the playoffs. The first is finding a way to win the AL West, which is a difficult proposition at this stage of the season. The Rangers (70-67) are now 5.5 games behind the Houston Astros. The Mariners are 3.0 games behind the Astros.

The second is to sneak in as one of the three wild card teams. After Saturday's action the Rangers are 2.5 games out of the final wild card berth, which is held by the Mariners. That’s another area where the Rangers’ victory, coupled with the Mariners’ loss, helped. But Texas cannot end up tied with Seattle in any scenario because the Rangers played so poorly against the Mariners, Seattle has the tiebreaker if both teams end up in any tie.

Oddly enough, a run at the AL West title might be easier. Why? Because the Rangers have six head-to-head meetings with the AL West-leading Houston Astros in September. The Astros come to Globe Life Field from Sept. 5-7 and then the Rangers go to Daikin Park in Sept. 19-21. It gives the Rangers a shot at directly cutting into Houston’s lead without help from anyone else. But it also could help Seattle.

Following a team’s magic number is tradition in Major League Baseball this time of year. A team's magic number represents the combination of wins needed by that team and losses by its closest competitor to clinch a playoff berth or division title. Every time a team wins, its magic number decreases by one.

Right now, the Astros and the Mariners are the ones with magic numbers. The Rangers need to overtake one of them to get one of their own.

Texas Rangers Playoff Race (as of Aug. 30)

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AL West Race (after Aug. 30)

Houston Astros: 75-61 (lead division; magic number to clinch: 24)

Seattle Mariners: 72-64 (3 games behind)

Texas Rangers: 70-67 (5.5 games behind)

Houston Astros Remaining Schedule (26 games): Aug. 31-Sept. 1: vs Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 2-4, vs. New York Yankees; Sept. 5-7, at Texas; Sept. 9-11, at Toronto; Sept. 12-14, at Atlanta; Sept. 15-17, vs. Texas; Sept. 19-21, vs. Seattle; Sept. 23-25 at Athletics; Sept. 26-28, at Los Angeles Angels.

Seattle Mariners remaining schedule (26 games): Aug. 31, at Cleveland; Sept. 1-3 at Tampa Bay; Sept. 5-7 at Atlanta; Sept. 8-10, vs. St. Louis; Sept. 11-14, vs. Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 16-18 at Kansas City; Sept. 19-21 at Houston; Sept. 23-25, vs. Colorado; Sept. 26-28, vs. Los Angeles Dodgers.

Texas Rangers remaining schedule (25 games): Aug. 31, at Athletics; Sept. 1-3 at Arizona; Sept. 5-7 vs. Houston; Sept. 8-10, vs. Milwaukee; Sept. 12-14, at New York Mets; Sept. 15-17 at Houston; Sept. 19-21 vs. Miami; Sept. 23-25, vs. Minnesota; Sept. 26-28, at Cleveland.

AL Wild Card Race

New York Yankees: 76-60 (4.0 games ahead)

Boston Red Sox: 75-62 (2.5 games ahead)

Seattle Mariners: 72-64 (last berth)

Kansas City Royals: 70-66 (2.0 games behind final berth)

Texas Rangers: 70-67 (2.5 games behind final berth