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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Decisions, decisions, decisions.

The Rangers have quite a few to make as they enter their first offseason in four years without a postseason game.

Will Nelson Cruz be back? How about Joe Nathan? Others, such as catchers A.J. Pierzynski and Geovany Soto, outfielder David Murphy and pitcher Matt Garza will be discussed ad nauseam before the winter meetings in December in Orlando.

Manager Ron Washington touched on the big ones -- Cruz and Nathan -- during his postmortem press conference Tuesday morning, 12 hours after the Rangers lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 in the American League tiebreaker game. He and general manager Jon Daniels and the rest of the brain trust will sit down at some point and go over all the options.

The big one is Cruz. He was suspended for the final 50 games of the regular season for violation of Major League Baseball's Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Cruz has to shoulder a portion of the blame for the Rangers' not making a stronger push for the AL West title, as they gave it up to Oakland in the final month.

The Rangers were disappointed by Cruz's decision-making and suspension, but they also know there's a lack of right-handed power hitters in the major leagues, and the minors too. The Rangers are likely to make Cruz a qualifying offer of about $13.5 million.

Washington, for one, would welcome Cruz back.

“When you think about a Nelson Cruz, who wouldn’t want a Nelson Cruz?" Washington said. "Big heart, great teammate, but there’s a lot of decisions to be made on our part and Nelson’s part. I do believe Jon Daniels will go down that road and see where it works or doesn’t work."

Then there's Nathan. The Rangers have a $9.5 million option on him for 2014, with a $750,000 buyout, a contract that Nathan can void and become a free agent. Nathan, 38, made it clear all season that he expects to pitch for several more years and will seek a multiyear deal.

Nathan blew three saves this season and finished with 43 saves. He may walk the tightrope sometimes, which drives the fan base crazy, but he's reliable and gets the job done.

“I thought Joe Nathan had a tremendous year,” Washington said. “I think at the end of the year, Joe Nathan proved to everyone that doubted him what he was made of, and I certainly would love to continue giving him the ball because he gets outs.”

There will be other decisions. Both Pierzynski and Soto would like to return, but the Rangers may set their sights on free-agent-to-be Brian McCann.

They gave up a lot for Garza, including pitcher C.J. Edwards -- who pitched tremendously for the Cubs in the minors after the trade. Is that reason enough to bring Garza back? Did he show enough despite going through a maddening stretch in August and September?

Whatever happens, this will be a fascinating offseason, one in which Daniels and his staff will have to make their mark.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers will play another day.

Texas railled from an early 1-0 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Angels, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, clinching a spot in the American League wild-card play-in game against the Tampa Bay Rays at 7:07 p.m. Monday in Arlington.

The Rangers won seven straight games, all at home, to keep their postseason dream alive.

Soto's clutch hit: The Rangers responded after giving up the lead in the top of the sixth. With the score tied at 2-2, Adrian Beltre started a two-out uprising with a single to right field. A.J. Pierzynski followed with a bloop single to right field. That brought up Geovany Soto, who has been on a late-season tear. Soto ripped an RBI double into center field to score Beltre for a 3-2 lead. Soto also had a home run in the top of the ninth. Soto is 13-for-31 with three home runs and seven RBIs in his last 10 games.

Big insurance run: The Rangers took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the seventh when Craig Gentry had a leadoff single and a stolen base. The Angels brought in Juan Gutierrez in relief and Ian Kinsler grounded the first pitch he saw into left field for a huge insurance run.

Scheppers again: Tanner Scheppers needed just nine pitches to get the top of the Angels' lineup in the top of the eighth. He gave up a leadoff single to J.B. Shuck on a 0-2 pitch, but bounced back by getting Erick Aybar to ground into a double play. Scheppers then got Mike Trout to fly out to right field. Trout is 0-for-4 lifetime against Scheppers.

Beltre goes deep: Beltre is having a tough September and appeared to tweak his left hamstring running the bases in the sixth inning. But he still had the flair dramatic as shown by his home run to center field in the bottom of the eighth to give the Rangers a 5-2 lead. Beltre has two homers on this homestand.

Rangers take lead: The Rangers had trailed 1-0 since the first inning on Mike Trout's two-out home run when they finally took a lead in the fifth. Pierzynski started the bottom of the fifth with a double to center field. Soto then walked and both advanced on Jason Vargas' errant pickoff throw while Mitch Moreland was batting. After Moreland struck out, Gentry lined a two-run single into center field for a 2-1 lead.

Darvish out early: Manager Ron Washington made the very difficult decision of pulling Yu Darvish at 84 pitches in the sixth inning and bringing in Neal Cotts to face Josh Hamilton with two runners on. At issue is Darvish's inability to get a shutdown inning late in the season. With the Rangers leading 2-1 after Gentry's two-run single, Darvish allowed a single to No. 9 hitter Andrew Romine, then got a nifty double play started by Kinsler. Darvish then allowed a single to Aybar and four-pitch walk to Trout. That brought Washington out of the dugout. Darvish has given back the lead in the inning after the Rangers give him the lead in four of his last seven starts. Washington was trying to avoid that.

Hambone hurts Rangers: But Cotts couldn't get out Hamilton. He got ahead of him with a 1-2 count, but tried to go with a high fastball away to the former Ranger, who was able to go upstairs to line a single into left field to tie the game at 2-2.

Gentry gone wild: Gentry was on base three times Sunday with two singles and a walk. He is 15-for-31 in his last nine games.

Up next: The Rangers will play the Tampa Bay Rays in a wild-card play-in game at 7:07 p.m. Monday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Texas will go with left-hander Martin Perez (10-5, 3.55 ERA) while the Rays will counter with left-hander David Price (9-8, 3.39 ERA).

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers aren't revealing anything about what could happen after Sunday in a wild-card play-in game or wild-card game.

Nothing about Nelson Cruz, who wasn't in the Rangers' clubhouse Sunday morning. Nothing about Monday's potential starting pitcher, which on rotation would be Martin Perez.

Not a thing.

"We don't know about anything past today," Washington said.

The Rangers probably have a good idea, they're just not going to say it until after they beat the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. That would mean the season would go on, either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday depending on how Tampa Bay and Cleveland do.

Washington said that everyone is available for Sunday's game, including Perez and potential Wednesday wild-card game starter Matt Garza.

Pierzynski is DH: Washington wanted A.J. Pierzynski in the lineup Sunday against a left-handed starter, so he's the designated hitter with Geovany Soto catching Yu Darvish for the fifth straight game.

"I want A.J.'s bat in there. Period," Washington said. "He's a threat."

Pierzynski is 6-for-24 with four RBIs during the Rangers' six-game winning streak. Soto has hit safely in eight of his last nine games, batting .393 with two home runs and five RBIs.

Darvish forecast: If Washington could have one wish for Darvish's start, he was asked by a reporter if he would want it to be fastball command. He offered another answer.

"I wish that the headlines be, 'Darvish dominates,' in big letters written by you," Washington said.

Washington on Game 162: For the third straight season, the major league season comes down to Game 162 with three teams -- the Rangers, Rays and Indians -- battling for two playoff spots.

It's amazing when you considered the regular season lasts six months and comes down to one day on the schedule.

"When you have the balance that the league has, it happens," Washington said. "This new format makes it exciting. If we had four division winners, it probably wouldn't be. But this gets other teams involved and sometimes you don't have to have that super year to have a chance. That's what I think the commissioner has done with this game and the format we're in. You never know what's going to happen in a one-game playoff. We proved that last year. I'd rather be in that one game than not be in it at all."

Short hops: Craig Gentry's right ankle is doing OK after it was stepped on by Angels' first baseman Mark Trumbo in Saturday's game. Gentry said he will have the ankle taped as usual as he starts for the ninth straight game in left field. ... Rangers TV broadcaster Steve Busby turns 64 today.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Geovany Soto is catching Yu Darvish for the fifth straight game, which means A.J. Pierzynski is the designated hitter.

Josh Hamilton returns to the Los Angeles Angels' lineup after a pinch-hit double Saturday. Here are today's starting lineups for Game 162:

RANGERS
2B Ian Kinsler
SS Elvis Andrus
RF Alex Rios
3B Adrian Beltre
DH A.J. Pierzynski
C Geovany Soto
1B Mitch Moreland
LF Craig Gentry
CF Leonys Martin
P Yu Darvish

ANGELS
DH J.B. Shuck
SS Erick Aybar
CF Mike Trout
LF Josh Hamilton
2B Howie Kendrick
RF Kole Calhoun
1B Mark Trumbo
C Hank Conger
3B Andrew Romine
P Jason Vargas

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington calls this fighting for your life. In baseball terms, that's exactly what the Rangers are doing this week. And they are doing it extremely well.

Five must-win games and five wins, the latest a grind-it-out 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

It's been one heck of a week for Washington and his baseball team, which finally gained ground on one of the teams in front of it.

The Rangers are 89-71 and a game behind the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians for the two American League wild-card spots with two games to play.

The Rangers will get things going again early Saturday, at 11:05 a.m. CT, a start time moved up by eight hours because of potential rain in the Arlington area forecast for the early afternoon.

The Rays and Indians play their games -- at Toronto and at Minnesota, respectively -- just after noon CT. It's going to be one wild day in the American League.

"We're excited to be where we are," Washington said. "We still have a chance. It would be different if we didn't. The only thing you can do is stay focused and do what you have to do."

The Rangers have elevated their game this week after suffering through a painful first three weeks of September. They're running the bases. The bullpen has been brilliant. And the clutch hits have finally started coming in waves.

On Friday night, it was right fielder Alex Rios and setup man Tanner Scheppers who played the starring roles.

Rios drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh, when he slapped a single into right field to score Ian Kinsler for a 4-3 lead. Kinsler had put himself in scoring position by walking and drawing an errant pickoff throw to first base by Angels reliever J.C. Gutierrez to move up a base. Elvis Andrus moved Kinsler to third with a perfect sacrifice bunt.

Rios, who has been everything the Rangers could have hoped for when they got him in a waiver-period deal from the Chicago White Sox, took advantage of the infield being in and picked up his 17th RBI of the month.

He wasn't done. Rios has been a force on the bases. He scored a huge insurance run when he came home from second base on an infield hit by A.J. Pierzynski. Rios expected Angels shortstop Erick Aybar to throw to first to get Pierzynski, a slow runner, and that allowed Rios to scramble around third and score when Aybar's throw was off line at first.

Rios has gone from out of the playoff race in Chicago to being in the middle of things in Texas.

"It's exciting to be a part of something," Rios said. "We're fighting to get a spot to get in the playoffs through the wild card. Whenever you're able to contribute in winning, it makes you feel good."

Scheppers was the standout on a night when all four Rangers relievers -- Jason Frasor, Neal Cotts and Joe Nathan along with Scheppers -- were beyond dominant. The fearsome foursome faced 11 batters and retired them all -- six on strikeouts.

Scheppers had the most difficult task. He drew the Angels' 3-4-5 hitters -- Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and Howie Kendrick -- in the top of the eighth, right after the Rangers had taken a 5-3 lead.

Scheppers didn't blink. He won the battle with the MVP candidate Trout, blowing a 98 mph fastball by him. Scheppers went upstairs against Hamilton and made him strike out on more 98 mph cheese. Kendrick grounded out to second to end the inning.

It was electric stuff from Scheppers.

"I'm not surprised," Pierzynski said. "We've seen him do that all year. Those are three darn good hitters he got out. That was important, especially after we had just scored. He shut it down and got us back in the dugout."

Cotts got the win, his seventh of the season. Nathan picked up 42nd save. So what did Scheppers get?

"He gets the hold, a win and a save," Washington said. "So he picked up the triple crown tonight."

The Rangers picked up another massive win. They were 5-15 for September when this final week started. They were listening to collapse talk all around them.

They've responded by elevating their play at a time when they can't afford to lose.

"When you get in this situation, you're starting to compete," Andrus said. "Everybody is giving it their all. Everybody is focused. They're willing to do whatever it takes. Hopefully it will get us in the playoffs."

If the Texas Rangers are to make the playoffs, they'll need contributions from just about everybody. But with one week to go in the season and the Rangers right in the middle of a fight for an AL wild-card spot, let's try to narrow that group down to six Rangers who could determine if there will be postseason baseball in Texas in October (this is listed in no particular order):

1: Ian Kinsler. With his offense struggling in September, manager Ron Washington tinkered with his lineup trying to create a spark. In the process, he moved Leonys Martin out of the leadoff spot and inserted Kinsler back in that No. 1 role. Kinsler, as in the past few seasons, has to be a sparkplug for this offense. He has to be the one that gets things going so that it trickles down from there. Adrian Beltre is this team's MVP, if you ask me, but he needs Kinsler to help set the table so Beltre has opportunities to drive him in. Since Kinsler switched back to leadoff two weeks ago, he has six multihit games and eight RBIs. Kinsler can make things happen on the bases, and the Rangers will need that this week.

2: Derek Holland. He pitches tonight in Arlington, Texas, against Houston, a series against the league's worst team that the Rangers must use to their advantage. Holland struggled to start September but allowed just two runs in six innings in a no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays in his most recent start. He's in a key spot in the rotation this week with his start tonight, and he's slated for Saturday, the penultimate game of the season. Every game this week is big, but it's up to Holland to set the tone tonight and then possibly be in position to keep Texas in it, or give them a chance to claim that wild-card spot, on Saturday. He should have a big say in what happens to this team.

3: A.J. Pierzynski. This is the time of season that having Pierzynski could be even more important. He has postseason experience and knows all about pennant races and playoff chases. He's the guy that must keep this pitching staff calm (it will be Geovany Soto's job to do that with Yu Darvish) as they attempt to navigate through three games with Houston and four with the Angels to try to make the playoffs. Pierzynski's bat, of course, will matter, too. He was one of the few guys actually hitting when the Rangers couldn't buy a run at points this month. They need that stick now, along with his game-calling abilities.

4: Tanner Scheppers. Obviously, Joe Nathan is a key to this team's success as the closer. But he's done the job solidly all season. What matters just as much is getting the game to Nathan, and Scheppers is critical to that. He wasn't able to pitch on Friday in Kansas City after pitching in three straight games, and the Rangers couldn't close out that game after falling behind in the eighth inning. Scheppers has an ERA under 2.00 and has thrown the ball well in key situations. He's going to get some of those this week and must execute.

5: Elvis Andrus. He's becoming a critical leader for this team and also one of its most important hitters. Like Kinsler, the opponent does not want Andrus to get on base because of his speed and baserunning ability. Andrus is one of the few Rangers whose September split is solid. He's batting over .300 for the month, and it seems that when the Rangers do score runs, Andrus is somehow involved (either scoring it or driving it in). He'll need to continue that this week.

6: Gary Pettis. It might seem odd to see the third-base coach on this list, but the reality is that he's already had an impact on several games this month to help this team create runs. The club's issues with scoring runs with regularity this month has been documented constantly. But for a team that has had a power shortage, pushing the envelope on the bases matters. Pettis isn't afraid to get aggressive with runners. He must be smart about it, but that attitude could make the difference in the Rangers getting that extra run they need. Don't overlook his importance as the Rangers run the bases like crazy.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Matt Garza's plan in his biggest start since being traded to the Texas Rangers? Keep it simple.

Did he ever do that, for himself and his ballclub.

Garza dominated before a sellout crowd in Kansas City, never allowing more than one baserunner in any single inning as the Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 3-1 on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium.

The Rangers traded for Garza in July because he had a reputation for being a big-game pitcher. Garza hasn't shown that prowess lately in losing three September starts.

But he was all about the moment on Saturday night. He took pressure off his defense and hitters by keeping his innings short and effective. And simple. This September start brought out the best in the Rangers' hired gun.

"What came out of him tonight was pride," manager Ron Washington said.

Texas kept pace with the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians in the American League wild-card race after both the Rays and Indians won on Saturday. The Rangers are a half-game behind Cleveland and a full game behind Tampa Bay with eight games left in the regular season.

Washington said Friday that he believed Garza had a big game in him -- even with him being on a four-game losing streak -- and the Texas skipper proved to be correct.

The Rangers scored early runs with Ian Kinsler starting the game with a triple and scoring on Elvis Andrus' groundout. They took a 3-0 lead in the third inning on Adrian Beltre's single off the second-base bag and A.J. Pierzynski's sacrifice fly.

For Garza, it was all about staying within himself, working the corners with his fastball and dropping in the curveball when needed. He won for the first time since Aug. 19 against the Houston Astros.

"It felt good to get back to being me," Garza said. "I had been trying to do too many things, so I kept it simple. That's who I am. I went out there with a game plan of attack and trust my stuff and let's go. There's no time to work on anything anymore."

Pierzynski said Garza might have been going through information overload in his recent starts. He was taking in all of the scouting reports on hitters and attacking that way, instead of his own way, which is working off his fastball.

"Matt is a simple guy," Pierzynski said. "If you give him too much, he can overthink some stuff."

Garza was at his best the few times he had to work with runners on base. He had only one walk, and that came with two outs in the fourth inning. He didn't blink, striking out Salvador Perez coming inside with the first two pitches to get ahead, then going down and away for the strikeout.

Garza gave up five hits, including a two-out triple that deflected off first baseman Mitch Moreland's glove in the sixth inning. Garza bounced right back by striking out Alcides Escobar using the same pattern of pitches he used against Perez.

"We executed the game, which is what we're supposed to do," said Garza, who didn't make any mechanical changes after allowing 14 runs in 15⅓ innings in his first three September starts.

"They were taking early swings," Garza said. "They weren't catching good wood on my fastball until the ninth inning. The balls they did hit were off-speed pitches. It was about going to work."

Washington gave Garza a chance for a shutout by bringing him back out to start the ninth inning. He had thrown only 93 pitches. Garza threw a 2-1 fastball to Eric Hosmer on one of the few times all night one of the Royals hit a ball hard. Hosmer hit a home run into the bullpen in left field.

Washington went to closer Joe Nathan, who retired all three batters he faced -- getting two strikeouts -- and wrapped up Garza's 10th win of the season.

Garza was asked after the game if this was the best start since he was traded to the Rangers on July 22.

He hopes not.

"The best start I hope I make in October," Garza said.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It was all Matt Garza on Saturday night in Kansas City. And, boy, did the Texas Rangers ever need this.

Garza kept Texas right on the heels of the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians in the American League wild-card race, allowing one run in eight dominating innings as the Rangers topped the Kansas City Royals 3-1 at Kauffman Stadium.

After Garza gave up a home run to start the top of the ninth, closer Joe Nathan came on to pick up his 40th career save against the Royals, the most by any pitcher versus the Kansas City franchise. Nathan had two strikeouts.

Wild-card race: The Rangers needed the win because Tampa Bay and Cleveland, the teams in front of them holding down the wild-card spots, both won on Saturday. The Rays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1, damaging the Orioles' playoff hopes. The Indians beat the Houston Astros 4-1. The Rangers remained a game behind the Rays and a half-game behind the Indians. Texas is all but done in the American League West. Oakland won and needs a win Sunday or a Rangers loss to clinch the division title.

Garza deals: Garza put a halt to his September slump. He was terrific against the Royals, commanding the strike zone and allowing just five hits in eight innings. He had only one walk after surrendering six in his past two starts. Garza had a stretch during which he retired 10 straight batters after he established control in the first inning. He did finally allow a run in the top of the ninth when Eric Hosmer led off with a home run over the left-field fence. Garza threw 97 pitches, 70 for strikes.

Rangers strike first: Ian Kinsler started the game with a triple up the right-center field alley and scored on Elvis Andrus' groundout to shortstop. Kinsler's triple was the Rangers' first three-bagger in the first inning this season. It was the first leadoff triple by a Ranger to begin a game since Kinsler did it on May 26, 2009, against the Yankees.

Taking advantage of walks: It seems like, lately, every time a Rangers pitcher walks someone it leads to a run. Well, the Rangers scored two runs on walks in the third inning. After Kinsler grounded out, Andrus and Alex Rios walked. Adrian Beltre then hit a sharp grounder up the middle that Royals second baseman Emilio Bonifacio got in front of but let go through his legs for what was scored as an RBI single. Rios made it to third on the play and scored on A.J. Pierzynski's sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.

Gentry stays hot: Craig Gentry started in left field against a right-handed starter and had three more singles, giving him seven hits for his past two starts. Gentry had four hits on Thursday night in Tampa Bay but didn't play Friday night against the Royals.

Up next: Texas and Kansas City finish up their three-game series at Kauffman Stadium with Rangers right-hander Alexi Ogando (7-4, 3.15 ERA) facing Royals right-hander James Shields (12-9, 3.33) at 1:10 p.m. Sunday on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Rangers try to even their three-game series with the Kansas City Royals when right-hander Matt Garza faces off against Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie at 6:10 p.m. Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium. The game is on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and 1540 AM.

Garza (9-6, 4.06 ERA): Garza has lost four straight decisions, the latest a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday … He goes for his 10th win for the fifth time this season … His four straight losing decisions is a career high … Garza has failed to complete five innings in consecutive starts for the the third time in his career, with the other two times also coming in September … Garza is 2-5 with a 5.72 ERA since Aug. 3 … That's the fourth-highest ERA in the American League in that span … The Rangers are 6-5 in his starts … Run support hasn't been Garza's best friend, as he's had two runs or fewer scored for him in eight of 11 starts … He is 1-5 with a 3.83 ERA for eight career starts against the Royals,but hasn't faced them since 2010 … Garza is 0-2 with a 4.18 ERA at Kauffman Stadium.

Guthrie (14-11, 4.08): Guthrie is 1-1 with a 4.05 ERA in September … He has a career losing record of 69-88 and a 4.25 ERA … Guthrie lost his last start, allowing 13 hits, two home runs and three runs in eight innings of a 3-2 loss to Detroit … Opponents are batting .289 against him … He is 9-4 with a 4.37 ERA at home … Guthrie is 4-3 with a 3.77 ERA for his career against the Rangers.

Hitters: A.J. Pierzynski (13-for-36, 1 HR, 4 RBIs) and Ian Kinsler (10-for-29, 2 2B, RBI) have had success against Guthrie. Alex Rios has two homers against him. Billy Butler is 8-for-20 with an RBI against Garza.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Rangers just can't take the upper hand in the American League wild-card race.

In a tight game Friday night, Texas blinked first when Neftali Feliz walked in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth and the Kansas City Royals picked up a crucial 2-1 victory over the Rangers at Kauffman Stadium.

The Rangers are 2-3 on the road trip and a dismal 4-14 in September.

Misery in the 8th: Jason Frasor struck out the first two Royals in the bottom of the eighth, and then the entire night unraveled on the Rangers. Lorenzo Cain singled up the middle. Mike Moustakas had a bloop single to left field just over the glove of Elvis Andrus. Frasor got ahead of pinch hitter David Lough with a 1-2 count but couldn't put him away and walked him to load the bases. Then, manager Ron Washington went to Feliz, who has had very little work in pressure situations since coming back from Tommy John surgery. Feliz delivered a four-pitch walk to No. 9 hitter Alcides Escobar to force in the go-ahead run. Left-hander Joe Ortiz did come and get Alex Gordon to ground out to second to end the inning.

Wild-card race: It was a very bad night for the Rangers in the wild-card race. The Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians beat the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros, respectively. The Rangers now find themselves outside of the wild-card picture, trailing the Rays by a game and the Indians by a half-game. The Royals moved within two games of the Rangers, and the Orioles stayed two games back of Texas. The New York Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants to climb within 2.5 games of Texas.

Rangers strike first: Adrian Beltre started the second inning with a single off Ervin Santana. A.J. Pierzynski just missed a home run to right-center field, instead settling for a double high off the wall. Beltre took a risk and tried to score, and the Royals produced a very poor relay that allowed the Rangers to take a 1-0 lead.

Royals tie it: Salvador Perez and Cain started the bottom of the second with singles. Martin Perez then got his second double play in two innings but Perez moved to third. Justin Maxwell hit a low drive into center field that Leonys Martin just missed snagging, and Perez came in to tie the game.

Missed chance: The Rangers loaded the bases in the top of the fifth against Santana. David Murphy had a two-out double, Martin reached on an error and stole second and Ian Kinsler drew a walk. That brought up the shortstop Andrus, the Rangers' hottest hitter in September. Texas suffered some terrible luck when Santana uncorked a wild pitch -- Murphy couldn't score because the ball bounced off the backstop padding and kicked all the way back out to Perez at home plate. Andrus struck out to end the threat.

Perez's night: Perez only allowed one run in 5⅔ innings, but he had to pitch around a lot of baserunners. He allowed seven hits and four walks. He allowed two runners on after two outs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings but managed to get out of trouble (with the help of reliever Neal Cotts in the sixth). Perez did get hit by a screamer off his left elbow in the fifth inning near the same place he suffered a fracture during spring training and missed the beginning of the season. Perez stayed in the game and got a lineout by Perez to end the inning.

Cotts doing work: Cotts stayed in the game and pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh, the first 1-2-3 inning of the night for a Rangers pitcher. Cotts got two ground ball outs and a strikeout in lowering his major league-best ERA to 1.04.

No solving Santana: Santana pitched a gem for the Royals, allowing five hits in 7⅓ innings. It was a turnaround for Santana, who had a career 5.79 ERA against the Rangers coming into the game. Santana retired 11 in a row at one point.

Up next: The Rangers will send right-hander Matt Garza (9-6, 4.06 ERA) to the mound against Kansas City right-hander Jeremy Guthrie (14-11, 4.08) at 6:10 p.m. ET Saturday night on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and 1540 AM.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Catcher A.J. Pierzynski says there is one reason he has thrown out 16 of the past 39 baserunners who have tried to steal a base on him.

"Hector Ortiz," Pierzynski said.

There you go. The Rangers' minor league catching instructor, who also works closely with Pierzynski and Geovany Soto, is the man behind the scenes helping the club's catchers throw out 27 percent of all basestealers.

That percentage has risen dramatically as Pierzynski has improved this season. The first 25 runners who tried to steal on him were successful. You can see the success rate -- or failure rate -- of Rangers opponents since then.

Soto threw out two basestealers in the second inning of Thursdays' 8-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, helping starter Yu Darvish wade through a start in which he had command issues. Soto has thrown out 30 percent of basestealers.

Pierzynski said, for eight seasons in Chicago, the White Sox didn't care about throwing out baserunners. It wasn't a team philosophy.

With Ortiz around for the Rangers, it is. Ortiz studies video religiously. "I try to pay attention to the little things," Ortiz said. He also studies video and calls and talks to the Rangers' catchers when he's on the road instructing the minor league catchers.

Pierzynski has improved his footwork and his weight shift during the season, helping him to make stronger throws. It says something that Pierzynski, a 13-year veteran, would be willing to listen to Ortiz.

That speaks volumes.

"They like it," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Pierzynski and Soto getting instruction from Ortiz. "You can see the difference. They're both throwing the ball well."

What's Ortiz's secret?

"He's good at getting them to apply," Washington said. "That's a coach right there. That's a teacher."

The Rangers have to slow down the running game in this weekend series against Kansas City. The Royals lead the major leagues with 147 stolen bases. The Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers are next with 132 steals.

Nathan sends message: Closer Joe Nathan told pitching coach Mike Maddux he wanted to pitch the ninth inning Thursday night against Tampa Bay, even with the Rangers holding a 6-2 lead, even with Nathan pitching for a third straight day.

The reason? Nathan wanted to send a message to the Rays after he blew a save against them on Wednesday night in the 11th inning. Nathan had two strikes on two straight hitters and allowed them to reach base, the second one David DeJesus' walk-off single.

Nathan rebounded Thursday, allowing one hit. He got the last word.

"We're going to see those guys again," Nathan said of a possible wild-card game matchup with Tampa Bay. "I wanted that last game to be a positive. I wanted them to be the ones carrying in, in a one-game playoff, to have that bad taste in their mouth."

Nathan also said the extra work will help with his sharpness. He hadn't pitched in nine days before pitching the last three games against Tampa Bay. He said before Friday's game that he feels great, he likes to pitch regularly and he expects to be ready if needed against Kansas City.

Short hops: Pierzynski has a bruised finger on his glove hand, but it's not considered to be a serious injury … Darvish will pitch the final game of the regular season next Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels, if the Rangers are playing a meaningful game as far as the postseason.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Veteran players who have played the game for a long, long time and a manager who has been around baseball for more than four decades have never seen anything like this.

Sixty-three innings of not once having a lead. It's mystifying. It's frustrating. It's a lot of things.

It's the Texas Rangers losing again Monday night for their seventh consecutive defeat. Texas has gone from leading the AL West at the start of September to holding on for dear life for the second wild-card spot, a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Indians.

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Fitzsimmons and Durrett discuss how some people are calling for the Rangers to fire manager Ron Washington. Listen

The Rangers are 2-12 for the month, and manager Ron Washington is at a loss for what's going on. The Rangers had a players-only meeting on Monday before a game with wild-card race implications against the Tampa Bay Rays, but even that couldn't keep the submarine from plunging further into the depths.

"I don't think the dictionary or thesaurus or encyclopedia has the word I am right now," Washington said when asked what he's feeling. "I'm not frustrated. I'm confused.

"I'm trying to figure out what I can do to jump-start this offense. It's showed throughout the year that they're capable. We haven't been able to get it done."

There is one obvious solution, and it didn't happen on Monday night. And it's not about the offense.

"We need a game like Yu [Darvish] threw the other day [against the Oakland Athletics]," designated hitter Lance Berkman said of Darvish's second straight 1-0 loss. "Actually, we need a game where we're never behind, even if we get through four or five innings with a 0-0 game. That's hard to ask of your pitching staff to give you a game like that."

The Rangers will start Alexi Ogando on Tuesday night with the hope he'll put up zeroes for three or four innings. Nick Tepesch or Travis Blackley might be able to give you five or six innings, but it's Ogando who gives the Rangers the best chance for shutdown innings at the start of the game.

It's something they didn't get from Matt Garza on Monday night.

Twice the Rangers scored runs to tie the game in the top of the fourth and fifth innings. And twice Garza let the Rays retake the lead in the bottom of the inning.

The bottom of the fifth was the bigger disaster. Garza didn't make it out of the inning, allowing four consecutive hits after striking out Yunel Escobar for the first out. It's the third consecutive start in which he has allowed a big inning at a crucial point in the game.

Shutdown innings. The Rangers can't get one from their starting rotation.

"That's the game," Washington said. "Your team scored, you want to go out there and put up zeroes. We just haven't been able to get it."

Garza allowed a one-out double to David DeJesus and the Rays' hits kept coming. Ben Zobrist put runners at first and third with a single. James Loney squibbed a single inside the third-base bag for a 3-2 lead. Evan Longoria went up the middle for an RBI single. Rookie Wil Myers basically put the game out of reach with a thunderous double off reliever Jason Frasor for a 6-2 Rays lead.

"My job is to put a zero on the board," Garza said. "That's what I need to start doing. I need to keep us in ballgames. That's what I have to start doing."

The Rangers' offense showed some spunk by rallying from one-run deficits in the fourth and fifth innings, and Ian Kinsler was right in the middle of both.

He had a double to open the top of the fourth, an inning in which Alex Rios ultimately scored on A.J. Pierzynski's two-out single. Kinsler tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth with a double to right field.

But he also made two outs on the bases maybe trying to do too much. In the fourth, Kinsler tried to distract Rays starter Alex Cobb by dashing toward home with one out and Rios at the plate. Rios hit a grounder sharply to third and Kinsler, who didn't keep going home, got caught in a rundown.

Then in the fifth he was the tying run at second with Elvis Andrus at the plate when Kinsler got caught trying to steal third base with two outs.

Washington said he was OK with Kinsler trying to steal the bag.

"Ian was being Ian," Washington said. "That's the way we play."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Texas Rangers' losing continues. They made it seven September defeats in a row with a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night at Tropicana Field.

The Rangers, who are 2-12 for the month, fell behind Tampa Bay for the first wild-card spot. They were holding onto the lead for the second spot, pending the final of the Cleveland-Kansas City game. If the Indians win, they'll pass the Rangers by a half-game.

PODCAST
Fitzsimmons and Durrett discuss how some people are calling for the Rangers to fire manager Ron Washington. Listen

Can't get a lead: The Rangers made it 63 consecutive innings without a lead. It's an impossible accomplishment. They did end a streak of trailing for 34 straight innings when they tied the game at 1 in the fourth inning on a single by A.J. Pierzynski.

Garza struggles again: It's been a September to forget for Matt Garza, who couldn't produce a shutdown inning as the Rangers' offense tried to keep him in the game. Garza allowed a run in the third inning after a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Desmond Jennings gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead. The Rangers tied the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth, and after Garza struck out Yunel Escobar to start the bottom of the inning, the former Rays pitcher allowed four straight hits. David DeJesus had a double and Ben Zobrist, setting up the heart of Tampa Bay's lineup, singled. James Loney squibbed a single inside the third-base bag for a 3-2 lead. Evan Longoria followed with a single up the middle for a 4-2 lead. Garza's line was finished off when Wil Myers doubled off reliever Jason Frasor for two more runs.

Garza in September: The Rangers' big trade acquisition before the July 31 deadline has allowed 15 runs in 15 1/3 innings during the most crucial month of the season. That's with 22 hits and six walks.

Offense trying: They still can't get the big inning -- except for the bottom of the eighth in Friday's 9-8 loss to the A's -- but the Rangers' offense did at least tie the game twice. Trailing 1-0, Ian Kinsler led off the top of the fourth with a double. He moved to third on Elvis Andrus' sacrifice bunt. Kinsler was then trapped between third and home on a groundout to third by Alex Rios for the second out. But the Rangers still managed a run. Rios stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on Pierzynski's two-out single. With the go-ahead run at third, Lance Berkman struck out to end the inning. The Rangers tied the game again at 2-2 when Mitch Moreland ended an 0-for-22 stretch with a double to center field. He scored on Kinsler's double inside third-base bag. The inning ended when Kinsler was picked off second with Andrus, the Rangers' best hitter in September, at the plate.

Martin withe the assist -- again: Leonys Martin might have kept Garza from taking an earlier exit by coming up with his 14th outfield assist of the season. With a runner at second and one out in the bottom of the third, Zobrist ripped a single to center field and Martin came up firing, making a perfect throw home to nail Escobar at the plate to keep the Rays' lead at 1-0.

Watch out for Myers: Myers appears to be on his way to winning the American League Rookie of the Year award. He had a home run in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. He had the two-run double off Frasor in the fifth inning to break the game open and give Tampa Bay a 6-2 lead. Myers just missed a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth off Neftali Feliz as Martin ran down a towering fly ball at the base of the center-field wall for the third out of the inning.

Up next: The Rangers will try to end their seven-game losing streak when they send a pitcher to be announced, probably Alexi Ogando or Nick Tepesch, against Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (11-8, 5.04 ERA) at 6:10 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and 1540-AM.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- With only two weeks of baseball remaining, the Rangers don’t have time for Jon Daniels to pull any rabbits out of the hat.

“We’ve gotten to the point where there is not much time left,’’ the general manager said following the Rangers’ sixth straight loss. “We’re either going to get it done or we’re not, and we’ve got to count on our guys to do it.’’

PODCAST
Fitzsimmons and Durrett discuss how some people are calling for the Rangers to fire manager Ron Washington. Listen

AL West rival Oakland completed a three-game sweep of the punchless Rangers with a 5-1 win before 42,980 fans Sunday. Texas has lost six in a row and 12 out of its last 15, a collapse that leaves them 6.5 game behind the A’s and in danger of even missing a wild-card playoff berth that looked almost assured in late August.

“I’m not sure what’s going on,’’ manager Ron Washington said in his media conference after the game. “I’ve never experienced it before. Opportunities were there. We put ourselves in position, we just couldn’t get the big hit.’’

Texas was 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, the hit coming from A.J. Pierzynski in the first inning for the only Rangers run in the last 19 innings.

From the Texas viewpoint, this was a series that could have made up for 2012 when the A’s executed a series sweep to pull the AL West rug out from under the Rangers on the final day of the regular season. Instead, with a sweep, Oakland practically assured itself of another AL West flag.

Daniels said Rangers fans should know that the players are continuing to work. “They’re hurting,’’ he said. “They want to get it done.’’

Shortstop Elvis Andrus said it is important to know that going forward, every game is going to be different and that it does no good to dwell on the losing streak.

“We can’t be thinking about things that didn’t go the way we wanted them to,’’ said Andrus, who scored the only Rangers run Sunday.

In the six-loss homestand, four defeats were by one run, another by two runs and the A’s led only 3-1 until ninth-inning homer by Josh Reddick on Sunday.

“It wasn’t like our team was dominated and we didn’t have a chance,’’ Washington said.

A four-game stop in Tampa Bay awaits. Then three at Kansas City. Maybe a road trip is what the Rangers need after losing seven in a row at home.

“It’s a big challenge,’’ said Daniels. “But for some reason, we seem to play better on the road. As bad as we’ve played the last two weeks, we still have a chance with two weeks to go.’’

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The losing streak got a little longer and the playoff road got a little more perilous for the Rangers on Sunday.

AL West rival Oakland handed Ron Washington’s team its sixth straight defeat, 5-1, before 42,980 at Rangers Ballpark, ending a homestand Texas would love to forget.

The defeat was a club-record matching seventh straight at the supposed friendly confines of Rangers Ballpark.

Texas extended its streak of not having a lead in any of the six games on the homestand. The Rangers lengthened another dubious feat of trailing in their last 34 consecutive innings, dating to Wednesday’s 7-5 loss to Pittsburgh.

Four of the A’s runs came on homers. Texas, for the sixth consecutive game, was homerless.

Texas trails the A’s by 6.5 games with 14 games to play.

The Rangers trail Tampa Bay by a half-game in the wild-card race. Both are hotly pursued by Cleveland with the Yankees and Orioles still in contention.

Same result: It didn’t seem to matter that it was emergency starter Tommy Milone instead of Jarrod Parker on the mound for Oakland. Parker was a late scratch due to illness. Milone pitched five innings in the Texas heat and limited the Rangers to one run. Texas stranded three in scoring position thanks to Milone’s ability to get the key out or the Rangers inability to get the key hit.

Opposites attract: A positive sign in the first inning, a sighting of two opposite-field hits, including a two-out, two-strike single RBI single by A.J. Pierzynski. Elvis Andrus, who lined a single to right, raced home with the first Rangers run in 10 innings. It turned out to be the only one. In Saturday’s 1-0 loss, A’s pitcher Bartolo Colon peppered the outside corner. Rangers hitters had difficulty making the adjustment to opposite-field swings. With 10 hits, the Rangers had chances. But they also stranded 10.

Taking a chance: Maybe it has more to do with the Rangers' comeback abilities of late, but Ron Washington chose to play the infield at the cut of the grass with no outs in the fourth inning. The Rangers trailed 3-1 with A’s at second and third base. It is normally a move made late in a tight game. Martin Perez made it work. He struck out switch-hitter Alberto Callaspo and then retired Nate Freiman on a pop-up to first. Center fielder Craig Gentry chased down Josh Reddick’s deep fly ball to end the threat.

Good call: Jim Adduci got the start at first base for a slumping Mitch Moreland and delivered three hits. Washington chose to stick with Adduci, a left-handed hitter, even after the A’s changed to left-handed starting pitcher Milone.

Turning two: Perez’ shaky start could have been much worse if not for a slick double play in Oakland’s two-run first. Ian Kinsler went to his right to glove Jed Lowrie’s sharply-hit grounder and in one motion flipped the ball out of his glove to Andrus to start the double play.

More on Perez: The 22-year-old finished with a respectable three runs allowed in 6.1 innings. He was hurt by the home run ball, solo shots from Josh Donaldson (362 feet down the left field line) and Chris Young (412 feet in the A’s bullpen). Perez showed some moxie working out of a jam in the fourth.

Homer drought continues: While the A’s long ball stroke was working, the Rangers extended their streak of games without a home run to six. In 22 previous seasons, it has happened only one other time, in 1995.

Up next: The Rangers begin their final road trip of the regular season with four games in Tampa Bay on Monday followed by three next weekend in Kansas City. The Rangers are 42-32 on the road, tied with Boston for the most road wins in the AL.