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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Much will be made of the Texas Rangers' aggressive baserunning this season -- the pros and cons of it -- a style they've prided themselves on for all seven seasons Ron Washington has been the club's manager.

Monday night will not be a good memory.

The Rangers were picked off twice in the first three innings by David Price and lost 5-2 in the American League wild-card tiebreaker game. It brought the Rangers' season total to 111 outs given up on the bases.

Elvis Andrus was picked off first base in the first inning after a one-out walk when he scrambled back to first base on Price's throw over but had his hand blocked from the bag by first baseman James Loney's foot.

Ian Kinsler was also caught stealing when Price picked him off first base. Kinsler ended the inning by making an out in a rundown.

"Elvis got blocked by Loney," Kinsler said of Andrus' first-inning mistake. "It was 0-2 on [Alex] Rios [when Kinsler was picked off in the third inning], so I was going to try to take the bag there and either let Rios drive me in or let him start the next inning off. And I got caught. It was early in the game, and I was trying to take a chance there.

"Those two plays weren't [Price's pickoff] move. They were circumstances of the game."

This doesn't mean this should be open season on the Rangers' running game. There's no way they would have gotten to Game 163 without their ability to turn singles into doubles by the stolen base. Or scoring key runs from second base on infield hits.

The Rangers had six players with at least 15 stolen bases, and both Rios (42 steals) and Andrus (41) could be potential 50-steal guys next season.

The Rangers went on a seven-game tear to end the season just to get into Monday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Without the power threat of the past, they had to stay aggressive on the bases.

It just worked against them for the first time in a week.

"That's the way we play," Washington said. "Sometimes, that's the result of it, but if everything would have worked the way we wanted it to when they decided to steal, it would have been nice. It just didn't work that way. That's what you have to put up with when you are aggressive. We're a very aggressive team, and we never stop."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- In the aftermath of Monday's 5-2 loss in the American League wild-card tiebreaker game, Elvis Andrus found himself second-guessing a decision to bunt for a base hit while representing the tying run in the bottom of the eighth.

Andrus was batting with one out after Ian Kinsler smoked a double into the left-field corner. The Rangers trailed 4-2 and had Nos. 3 and 4 hitters Alex Rios and Adrian Beltre coming up after Andrus.

Andrus tried to push a bunt past Tampa Bay Rays starter David Price, but it didn't spin enough toward the first-base line, allowing the Rays pitcher to glove the ball and flip it to first for the second out of the inning. Rios grounded out to shortstop to end the threat and the Rangers' best chance to tie the game.

Tampa Bay stole a run in the top of the ninth when Sam Fuld stole third and scored on Tanner Scheppers' errant throw. The Rangers went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth with Nelson Cruz making the final out.

Andrus was asked after the game why he bunted.

"I don't know actually," Andrus said. "I'm still thinking about it. I'm still mad at myself right now, especially in that situation, facing that guy. I feel great, and I guess I saw the big picture: me getting on base and getting a big inning. I learned from that, for sure. I know what to do next time it happens."

Andrus probably wouldn't have been questioning himself during the first half of the season when he struggled offensively. Bunting might have been his best decision.

But he was dynamic after the All-Star break. He was a catalyst for the Rangers' offense, batting .314 with 36 RBIs and 40 runs scored.

Andrus said no one questioned his decision when he got back to the dugout.

"They know that I always play for the team and play to win the game," Andrus said.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers' charge to the playoffs at the end of the season was stopped by the team they eliminated from the postseason in 2010 and 2011, the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays outplayed the Rangers on Monday night in the American League wild-card tiebreaker game for a 5-2 victory at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Tampa Bay got the clutch home run, ran the bases better and played a flawless game in the field to move on to Wednesday's AL wild-card game against the Cleveland Indians.

Oh no, Longo: The Rays' Evan Longoria is at his best late in the season. He did it again Monday night, giving the Rays a 3-0 lead in the top of the third with a long two-run home run to right-center field that just got over the glove of Leonys Martin. Longoria also had a one-out double in the top of the sixth and scored on pinch hitter David DeJesus's RBI single to give the Rays a 4-1 lead.

Rangers get on board: Craig Gentry led off the bottom of the third with a single. With Gentry running, Martin grounded out to third base to give the Rangers a runner in scoring position. Ian Kinsler then lined a single into center field to cut the Rays' lead to 3-1.

Rios comes through: Alex Rios continued his torrid play late in the season, scolding a double off the left-field fence to score Elvis Andrus and cut the Rays' lead back to two runs at 4-2.

Baserunning mistakes: The Rangers upped their season total to a brutal 111 outs on the bases by getting picked off first base twice by David Price, who isn't known for having a great move. First, it was Andrus in the bottom of the first after drawing a one-out walk. After Kinsler drove in the Rangers' first run, he got picked off first base on a nice move by Price.

Perez's night: Rookie Martin Perez made his first postseason start, and while it wasn't the exact result he was looking for, he did keep the Rangers in the game for the first five innings. Perez allowed four runs in 5⅓ innings and was taken out after 74 pitches for Alexi Ogando, who gave up the single to DeJesus to give the Rays a three-run lead.

Leonys gets the call: The Rangers were the recipients of a very gracious call from left-field umpire Bruce Dreckman with two outs in the top of the seventh. With two runners on, Delmon Young sent a sinking line drive into center field that Martin made a diving attempt for in front of him. The ball actually one-hopped its way into Martin's glove, but Dreckman made the out call much to the chagrin of Rays manager Joe Maddon.

Cruz's night: Nelson Cruz played for the first time since his 50-game suspension and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. Cruz almost changed the direction of the game in the second inning. With the Rangers trailing 1-0 and Adrian Beltre on second after a leadoff double, Cruz worked a 2-2 count and hit a screaming line drive that Rays first baseman James Loney snared. Cruz led off the bottom of the fifth with a grounder to third. He led off the seventh with a swinging strikeout on a full count.

Price goes nine: Price finally got over his curse of the Rangers. He worked a strong complete game and allowed two runs. Price came into the start with an 0-3 postseason record and a 10.26 ERA at Rangers Ballpark. But he had none of that on Monday night. Yes, he got a favorable strike zone from plate umpire Jeff Kellogg, who did have an impact on the game, but Price took advantage of it and allowed six hits and walked only one.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- When this week started, all the Rangers could ask for was a chance.

They didn't control their own destiny. They were behind Tampa Bay and Cleveland for the two American League wild-card spots. The Rangers were 5-15 in September.

Look at them now.

They've won six straight games, keeping their wild-card hopes alive with Saturday's 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, a game that ended in a torrential downpour with closer Joe Nathan striking out Howie Kendrick.

The Rangers reached 90 wins for the fourth consecutive season. Getting win No. 91 on Sunday will ensure that they'll play at worst another game Monday or Tuesday against the Rays or Indians.

Texas and Tampa Bay are tied for the second wild-card spot with identical 90-71 records. Cleveland can take a one-game lead over both teams with one game left -- and guarantee at worst a play-in game -- with a win over Minnesota on Saturday.

How have the Rangers made Game 162 matter? They have rallied the troops.

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- It's Friday, so let's take a look at who's trending up and who's trending down in Texas.

STOCK UP

Starting rotation: Texas starters have gone 5-0 with a 1.85 ERA over the last 10 games, a stretch in which the Rangers have a 7-3 record to stay alive in the wild-card race. The strong run at the end of the season has dropped the rotation's season ERA from 4.12 to 3.98. The Rangers have the lowest starters' ERA in the majors in that span, a full run ahead of Cleveland.

Elvis Andrus: Andrus went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Thursday's 6-5 win as he continues to be the Rangers' most consistent offensive player in September. Andrus is batting .321 for the month with 18 RBIs, tied for second most in the American League behind only Oakland's Yoenis Cespedes. It's the highest monthly RBI total of Andrus' career. He also takes a 13-game hitting streak against the Los Angeles Angels into Friday's game.

Craig Gentry: Gentry is getting the everyday start in left field down the stretch and is making the most of it. Gentry, who has started the last six games, was 3-for-4 in Thursday's game. He is 12-for-25 in the last seven games and has scored a run in four straight. He had a season-high four hits and matched a career-best with three stolen bases Thursday at Tampa Bay.

STOCK DOWN

Infield defense: At least for one inning, Mitch Moreland, Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre deserve to be ranked down. They combined for four errors in the top of the second inning Thursday night, leading to three runs as the Rangers fell behind 3-1. The infield had been excellent coming into the game, making four errors in the last 18 games.

The Rangers' luck: Texas has won four straight games and hasn't gained any ground in the wild-card race. Tampa Bay and Cleveland both take seven-game winning streaks into Friday's games. Jason Giambi's two-run pinch-hit homer stands as the biggest hit of the week, rallying the Indians over the White Sox on Tuesday night.

Neftali Feliz: It's really by process of elimination, but Feliz still has to establish after Tommy John surgery that he can be counted on in crucial moments. Feliz's four-pitch walk Friday night said he might not be ready. The Rangers lost that game, 2-1. It's by no means a knock on Feliz. He's still getting back to where he was before the injury.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Anyone who says they're not scoreboard watching this week is lying.

It's as much a part of baseball as home runs, hot dogs and, in the Rangers' case, running the bases with reckless abandon.

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In the Rangers' case, it's unavoidable. They need help. And fast.

They didn't get it Tuesday night when one of the most shocking moments of the season, a walk-off home run by 42-year-old Jason Giambi -- batting .176 -- kept Cleveland in front of the Rangers by a game for the second wild-card spot.

Wednesday night will bring more scoreboard watching and, in the fans' case, more anxiety. Know that the players and manager will be watching too while they do what they can control -- win another game.

"I think every inning I was watching the scoreboard," third baseman Adrian Beltre said. "It’s right there to look at, so every time I get a chance I look back to see what the score was."

The news that the Indians won? Yes, that was disappointing. The Rangers aren't used to being in this position of needing help.

"I heard one of my teammates told me, and you kind of hate it," Andrus said. "You could’ve been easily tied in the race today, but that’s baseball. You’ve got to come tomorrow, win the game and see what happens."

What's up now: Rapid Reaction from Tuesday's 3-2 victory over the Astros. Plus, Beltre finally ends his home run drought.

On deck: Martin Perez faces Dallas Keuchel in a battle of left-handers at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday night at Rangers Ballpark.

Question of the day: Are you concerned about Yu Darvish after he failed to make it through six innings for the second straight start?

ARLINGTON, Texas -- When Alex Rios sent a fastball from Houston pitcher David Martinez sailing into right-center field, he knew exactly what he had to do.

Fly around the bases for a triple.

The Rangers' right fielder, who has long strides and runs like a deer, glided around the bases for that triple, making him the seventh Rangers player to hit for the cycle. Rios got it done in six innings and helped the Rangers cruise to a 12-0 victory over Houston, moving Texas within a game of Cleveland for the second American League wild-card spot.

"It's just a good night," Rios said.

"I knew I had to go," he added, discussing his thought process when he saw the ball shoot up the alley. "It's the best part of Rangers Ballpark to hit the ball if you're looking for a triple."

It was the perfect night for the Rangers, who started a seven-game homestand to end the season with authority. They snapped a seven-game home losing streak.

The Rangers know they might have to win every game from here on out to get one of those wild-card spots. So this was a momentum boost.

"It was huge," shortstop Elvis Andrus said. "As a hitter, you're looking for a game to click. We needed to get the momentum going. We had quality at-bats today and hopefully we carry it over for the week."

Rios and pitcher Derek Holland helped set the tone in Game 1 of this crucial week. Holland had a complete-game shutout, his second of the season and seventh of his career.

Rios started the offense in the right direction in the bottom of the first, clubbing a two-run double for a 2-0 lead, scoring Ian Kinsler and Andrus, who each had singles.

Rios led off the fourth inning with a single and scored on a bases-loaded walk by David Murphy. It was actually the only bad part of the night for Rios, who failed to tag up on a fly ball to center field by Craig Gentry, who batted right before Murphy.

Hitting for the cycle made it easier to forget the baserunning gaffe. But Rios did he say he would happily give up one of his four RBIs to Gentry.

"You still have to think about your teammates, too," Rios said. "It's all good."

Rios belted a home run in his third at-bat in the bottom of the fourth, a long drive to left field for his 18th of the season. That left him a triple shy of the cycle. He took care of that in the bottom of the sixth.

Rios was greeted with a standing ovation when he went out to the field for the top of the seventh.

"I had goose bumps when I was running to right field, so it felt great," Rios said.

He was drenched with a beer and champagne bath after the game.

"It was cold," Rios said. "I couldn't even speak when I was getting drenched. But it was nice."

Rios' cycle came on a night when the Rangers desperately need to get their offense cooking. They scored four runs in three games in Kansas City. The at-bats were much better all-around on Monday night, with Rios the main attraction.

"I see it as a good game at the plate," Rios said. "Having a good approach and having good results."

Texas Rangers (84-71, second place in AL West) vs. Houston Astros (51-105, fifth place in AL West)

Monday: LHP Derek Holland (9-9, 3.48 ERA) vs. RHP Jordan Lyles (7-8, 5.26), 7:05 p.m.

Tuesday: RHP Yu Darvish (13-9, 2.81) vs. RHP Brad Peacock (5-5, 5.24), 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday: LHP Martin Perez (9-5, 3.54) vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel (6-9, 4.99), 7:05 p.m.

Here's what to watch for in this final series between these in-state rivals:

Silver Boot: The Rangers retained the Silver Boot, given to the winner of the season series, back in August with a four-game sweep of the Astros in Houston. The Rangers are 14-2 against the Astros, with eight straight wins. The 14 wins are the second most ever by Texas against one opponent in a season. The Rangers beat Seattle 15 times in 2011. Texas has won 13 consecutive individual series against the Astros. The Rangers have never needed a sweep more than they do now. They've outscored Houston 104-64.

Astros' offense: The Astros have averaged four runs per game against the Rangers. That's not so bad considering they were almost no-hit twice by Darvish, not to mention having won only two games. Houston's offense starts with Jose Altuve, who has hit safely in 19 of his past 21 games. He is batting .374 with eight doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs during that span.

Andrus rolls on: If the Rangers earn a wild-card birth, shortstop Elvis Andrus will likely be right in the middle of things. Andrus is batting .340 over his past 23 games and broke an 0-for-10 slide with two singles Sunday. Andrus has a career-high 40 stolen bases, though he was caught Sunday trying to steal third base. He has played spectacular defense, making 14 errors in 552 total chances.

Home, not sweet home: The Rangers have one last chance to play well at home. The last homestand was a disaster, as they lost all six games to Pittsburgh and Oakland, which cost them the American League West and put them in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs. The Rangers have 39 home wins. To put that in perspective, 18 teams have more home wins, including Philadelphia and Colorado, teams that have been out of the playoff race for weeks. The Rangers have the best road record in the majors at 45-36.

Bullpen power: The Rangers have three qualifying relievers with ERAs under 2.00 with seven games left in the regular season: Neal Cotts (1.04), Joe Nathan (1.51) and Tanner Scheppers (1.96). According to baseball-reference.com, there have been only two teams since 1900 do that: the 2002 Braves and the 2003 Dodgers. The Rangers and Braves can both accomplish that this season. The much-maligned Astros bullpen has been better of late with a 2.63 ERA in the past 13 games.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Well, the Texas Rangers are up against it now, no longer in control of their destiny to the postseason.

Faced with needing a win to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians in the American League wild-card race, the Rangers lost in excruciating fashion on Sunday afternoon after holding the Kansas City Royals scoreless for nine innings and ultimately losing.

The problem was the Rangers didn't score for 10 innings, so when Royals right fielder Justin Maxwell clobbered a two-out grand slam off former Kansas City closer Joakim Soria in the bottom of the 10th for a 4-0 victory in the Royals' final home game of the season, Texas had yet another extra-inning loss.

This is getting old.

The Rangers are 3-9 in extra innings. Among many other things, their struggles to win in these situations are as much of a reason as any as to why they go into the final week two games behind Tampa Bay and 1.5 games behind Cleveland for the two American League wild-card spots.

If the Rays and Indians win out, the Rangers will be out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2009 season, but they aren't thinking about that. The Texas players are focused on finishing strong at home with three games against last-place Houston and then four games against the Los Angeles Angels.

The Rangers lost all six games on their past homestand and have lost seven straight at Rangers Ballpark. They need to own their home stadium.

"We go home, and now is the best time to get everything together and have an amazing homestand," Elvis Andrus said. "It's going to be a great challenge to see how much we want it and how much we want to be in the postseason."

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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 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.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Hey, the Rangers dig the long ball, too.

Texas hit home runs in two games in the four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays and won both games. The power surge helped the Rangers split the series and remain tied with the Rays for the top American League wild-card spot, a half-game ahead of the surging Cleveland Indians.

The Rangers swatted four home runs in Thursday's 8-2 victory over the Rays at Tropicana Field. Texas arrived in St. Petersburg on Monday and lost 6-2 to the Rays, failing to hit a long ball to extend a stretch without a home run to 269 at-bats and 297 plate appearances.

Ian Kinsler hit a home run on the first pitch of the game Tuesday, and the Rangers cruised to a 7-1 victory. There were also homers from Elvis Andrus and Leonys Martin in that game.

The Rangers didn't homer in Wednesday's heartbreaking 4-3, 12-inning loss to the Rays, but they brought the power back in the third inning of Thursday's game.

Trailing 2-1 after Yu Darvish had given away a lead in the first inning, Mitch Moreland, in the lineup for defense, crushed a solo shot to the opposite field off lefty Matt Moore to tie the game.

The Rangers weren't done. Andrus hit his second homer of the series for a 3-2 lead. Alex Rios, who was 2-for-14 in the first three games of the series, cranked another solo shot for a 4-2 lead.

It gave the struggling Darvish a chance to settle down and get his first win in seven starts.

"The third inning was a big inning for us all the way around," Moreland said, "When we hit two more [home runs] after that. Three home runs in the inning, that definitely swung the momentum in our favor."

Andrus, batting .364 in his past 19 games coming into Thursday, continued his confident hitting in the series by going 6-for-16. He added the home run ball in this series, doubling his season total to four.

"I do feel better, for sure," Andrus said. "Every time you feel that you're swinging good -- like I'm doing right now, just having a plan -- whenever I know that it might be a fastball, I just let my hands go. I'm never looking for homers, but I hit that ball good."

Geovany Soto, who seems to be get an extra-base hit every time he starts, added a solo shot in the top of the ninth. He is 9-for-21 with two homers in his past seven games.

Moreland might be the big story to come out of the series at The Trop. He had an 0-for-22 skid going before hitting a double in three straight games and scoring three runs. He had three more hits on Thursday.

He started the game against lefty in Moore and had a performance reminiscent of a May streak during which he had nine home runs. Moreland has 23 homers for the season.

"You want to try to go up there and stay with your approach either way," Moreland said. "It doesn't matter who you're facing and get a good pitch. For the most part in this series, I was able to do that. It's something to build on and try to keep it rolling."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- This was a night during which Yu Darvish was in survival mode.

Forty pitches in the first inning. Six walks. A hit batter. A blown lead in the first inning.

And at the end of the night -- Darvish's first win in seven starts -- was an 8-2 pasting of the Tampa Bay Rays, coming after 1-0 losses to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Oakland A's in his previous two outings.

There's no explaining this stuff. Darvish doesn't have close to his best stuff and gets a win in a very pivotal game to help the Rangers pull even with Tampa Bay for the top wild-card spot, a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Indians.

Darvish struggled with his command, didn't get some close calls on pitches down in the strike zone and lasted only five innings. It was only the fourth time in 30 starts he has failed to complete six innings.

But he got run support and made pitches when he needed them. Darvish had received two runs or less before exiting each of his prior seven starts, a total of 10 runs. The Rangers scored six runs -- helped by three homers -- by the time he left Thursday's game with a 6-2 lead.

"I didn't have many of my pitches, fastballs or breaking balls," Darvish said. "But somehow, I made it through five innings and kept the game close."

Darvish is still using a poor start in Oakland at the beginning of the month as motivation. He lost 11-4 on Sept. 4 as he had six walks, lost his composure on the mound and allowed the A's to pull even with the Rangers in the American League West standings (Oakland has since taken a 6½-game lead in the division).

Darvish was able to calm himself Thursday night with the help of a mound visit from Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus before one of his double-play balls and a visit from pitching coach Mike Maddux before another one.

Both times, there were runners at first and second with one out. Both times, Darvish got a ground ball to the middle of the infield for a tailor-made double play.

"We were basically telling him to try to go out there and look for the contact," Andrus said. "We know the way he pitches. In that moment, we're thinking the same thing. We're feeling he needs to try to go out there and throw a fastball down so we can get a double play. He understands that and made a great pitch, and that's what we got."

Darvish was also helped by catcher Geovany Soto, who caught the Rangers ace for the third straight game since the poor start in Oakland. Soto was able to soothe Darvish through the first inning, when he allowed three walks, a hit batter and a double but gave up only two runs. He didn't get a shutdown inning, but he did keep the game close.

Soto helped keep it at 2-1 Rays in the bottom of the second. Tampa Bay's Yunel Escobar and Ben Zobrist both tried to steal second in the inning. Soto threw them both out.

The Rangers scored three runs in the top of the third on solo home runs by Mitch Moreland, Elvis Andrus and Alex Rios.

"If he didn't know what it means around here saying grind, he knows what it is now," manager Ron Washington said of Darvish. "Tonight, that's something he has to do. He was very effective, wildly, but when he had to make a pitch, he made one, and I was happy to get him through five innings."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Rangers didn't get the best Yu Darvish has to offer, but he survived for five innings and Texas belted four home runs to pull out a split of a four-game series with an 8-2 victory over the wild-card contending Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night at Tropicana Field.

The Rangers pulled even with the Rays for the top spot in the American League wild-card race. Both teams are 83-69 on the season.

Wild-card race: The Rangers and Rays got help in the AL wild-card race, as the Baltimore Orioles lost to the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, but they didn't get a boost from the Houston Astros. The Cleveland Indians are still a half-game back after beating the Astros 3-2 in 11 innings. Baltimore fell to two games back. The Kansas City Royals, who were off while awaiting the arrival of the Rangers, are three back, and the Yankees are 3.5 games back.

Darvish goes five: It wasn't pretty, but Darvish did go five innings to earn his first victory since Aug. 12, snapping a four-game losing streak. He had gone six starts without a win. Darvish had a difficult first inning, throwing 40 pitches in the process of turning a 1-0 Rangers lead into a 2-1 deficit. He had three walks and a hit batter in the inning. He allowed an RBI double to James Loney to tie the game and walked Desmond Jennings to force in a run. Darvish put the leadoff batter on base in each of the first four innings, but catcher Geovany Soto threw out two runners trying to steal in the second inning and used double plays with two runners on to get out of the third and fourth innings. Darvish matched a season high with six walks and matched a season low with four strikeouts.

Home run barrage: The Rangers don't hit many home runs these days, but they did explode off Rays ace Matt Moore in the top of the third. Mitch Moreland, kept in the lineup because of defense, hammered an opposite-field home run to tie the game at two. After Ian Kinsler flew out to the warning track, Elvis Andrus belted his second home run of the series and fourth of the season for a 3-2 lead. Alex Rios then made it back-to-back homers with a rocket also to left field for a 4-2 lead.

Insurance runs: With Darvish struggling to get through every inning, the Rangers needed to keep tacking on runs, and they did. Craig Gentry started the fourth inning with a single and stole second base. Then, with two outs, Ian Kinsler drew a hard-earned walk. Gentry and Kinsler followed by pulling off a double steal. That paid dividends as Andrus beat out an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop. Gentry scored easily, and Kinsler kept running and also scored for a 6-2 lead.

Ross alert: Robbie Ross has become a forgotten man in the Rangers' bullpen, but, man, did he remind everyone what he can do when he's on. Ross struck out the side -- all swinging -- on 13 pitches in the sixth inning. He came back out for the seventh inning and had a 1-2-3 inning with two ground ball outs.

Gentry's big night: Gentry had the third four-hit game of his career with three singles and a triple. He drove in an insurance run on a two-out single in the top of the seventh.

Rios breaks out: Rios helped the Rangers take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Andrus reached on a one-out error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rios, who was 2-for-14 in the series without an RBI, ripped a line-drive single into center field for the lead. He was 2-for-5 with a home run, 2 RBIs and his 38th stolen base.

Moreland stays hot: Moreland didn't stop after his homer in the third. He had two more singles to finish the night 3-for-5. Moreland was 6-for-15 with 3 doubles, a home run, 4 RBIs and 4 runs scored in the four-game series.

Up next: The Rangers open a three-game series at Kansas City with left-hander Martin Perez (9-5, 3.64 ERA) facing Royals right-hander Ervin Santana (9-9, 3.23) at 7:10 p.m. Friday night on Channel 21 and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and 1540 AM.