Rangers, Astros Can’t Quit Each Other in Tight AL West Race

The Texas Rangers needed a win on Friday night and then they needed help from the Atlanta Braves.

It was just another night in the race to win the American League West.

The Rangers (77-77) beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-1. The Atlanta Braves beat the Houston Astros (77-77), 6-2.

Once again, Texas and Houston are tied for the lead in the AL West, this time with eight games to play. Once again, the Rangers have a magic number to clinch a playoff berth, which is nine. It’s the same number that the Astros have.

The two in-state rivals appear intent on limping to the finish line in what has been one of the most curious division races in recent memory.

Rangers, Astros Playoff Race

Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager swings his bat at a baseball during a game. — Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager. Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Rangers cobbled together four runs in the second inning to take control against Toronto and unlike Thursday’s game against Boston, Texas didn’t give up the lead. Corey Seager, Ezequiel Duran and Jake Burger each had a double. While starting pitcher Kumar Rocker only went 4.1 innings, he gave up three hits and one run. Trevor Williams got the win, pitching four innings of two-hit baseball.

Meanwhile, former Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle did Texas a solid and dominated Houston's potent lineup. He gave up three hits and one run in six innings as he struck out six and walked one. The Braves bullpen took it from there.

Texas is 6-4 in its last 10 games while Houston is 4-6. But there is runway for either team to take control even at this late stage of the season.

The AL West race has been around .500 for much of the season. At various points all five teams were .500 or worse. A few days all five teams were under .500. But the race has evolved to the point that it's now between the Rangers and the Astros.

Adding complexity to the race is the tiebreaker situation. The Astros won the Silver Boot series earlier this season and hold the tiebreaker over Texas. It's also possible with eight games remaining that both teams could finish under .500.

The last time any division finished a season with its first-place team under .500 was in 1994. In that strike-shortened season, which resulted in the World Series being cancelled, the Rangers held the lead when the season ended and were 10 games under .500.

The wild card race is still an option for Texas. While Houston would take the division if the postseason began Saturday, the Rangers are one game behind the Chicago White Sox for the final wild card berth. The White Sox lost on Friday. It's still possible for Texas to make the playoffs as a wild card team even if it doesn't win the division.

That’s how tight — and strange — this race is down the stretch.

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