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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 -- 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 -- Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler and his teammates just rattled off seven straight games to make it to the American League wild-card tiebreak game.

And, on a Sunday when the players could hear fans chanting "baseball town" at Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton -- mocking his comments from before the season -- Kinsler wondered aloud how a must-win game in Arlington wasn't a sellout.

Where was everybody?

"We've been to the postseason three years in a row," Kinsler said. "We're fighting for our playoff lives. I'm just a little disappointed this place wasn't sold out and rocking.

"You can't say it's the Cowboys because they were on the road. The fans were chanting 'baseball town' and stuff like that, and we can't sell out."

The Rangers had an announced crowd of 40,057, meaning there were close to 9,000 empty seats. The Rangers finished with 3,1135,477 fans, second in the American League to the New York Yankees and second only to last season in team history.

"The fans that were here were amazing," he said. "They were allowed to chant 'baseball town' because they were here supporting us. It was a little disappointing to see the place wasn't sold out today."

The Rangers will play again Monday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, giving fans another chance to fill up the ballpark.

When its team is playing for the postseason, a "baseball town" shows up.

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 -- Six must-win games. Six victories.

The Rangers are flying to the finish line, winning again Saturday, 7-4, over the rival Los Angeles Angels, who decided to wear red tops for the game even though Texas had informed them they were going with red.

The Rangers are a half-game behind Tampa Bay and Cleveland in the American League wild-card race after winning their 90th game of the season.

The Rangers were waiting on the other games that impact them to be completed. The Blue Jays were leading the Rays 7-1 in the bottom of the fifth in Toronto. Cleveland and Minnesota had just gotten started at Target Field because of a rain delay of more than two hours.

Second-inning eruption: The Rangers scored four runs in the bottom of the second with the help of two huge errors by the Angels. Craig Gentry, playing tremendously down the stretch, led off with a double. David Murphy then drew a walk and Leonys Martin moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Ian Kinsler followed with a line shot that hit off Angels pitcher Garrett Richards, who was able to recover but made an errant throw to first, allowing Gentry to score. Elvis Andrus followed with an infield single that was fielded by Angels shortstop Erick Aybar, who threw the ball wildly into right field, allowing Murphy to score. Alex Rios had a sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead. Andrus then scored on a wild pitch that barely got away from catcher Chris Iannetta. Andrus was able to scamper by him and avoid a swipe tag.

Holland struggles: It was a tough Saturday for Derek Holland, who was staked to a 5-1 lead and wasn't able to get out of the top of the fifth. He gave up a leadoff single to Andrew Romine, who did that twice to Alexi Ogando on Friday night, and then a double to Aybar to put two runners in scoring position. Collin Cowgill brought the Angels within 5-3 with a ground out to shortstop. Holland got a big strikeout of Mike Trout, but gave up a RBI double to Howie Kendrick to cut the lead to 5-4. Holland allowed eight hits and threw only 79 pitches.

Big insurance runs: With the key members of the back of the bullpen used a lot in the last two days, not to mention the threat of storms, the Rangers scored two must insurance in the bottom of the fifth. Rios had a leadoff double and scored on A.J. Pierzynski's one-out single. Gentry gave the Rangers a 7-4 lead with an RBI single, his first RBI during his recent hot streak.

Ross comes up big: Left-hander Robbie Ross has worked his way back into being trusted by manager Ron Washington. With the Rangers leading 7-4, Ross worked around a one-out walk to Trout to keep the three-run lead. He struck out slugger Mark Trumbo to end the inning.

Scheppers solid again: Setup man Tanner Scheppers is coming up nails this week. He pitched for the third straight game and fourth time in the last five days and showed no signs of fatigue. Scheppers needed just seven pitches to get two ground balls to second and a fly ball to right field.

Up next: The Rangers and Angels will play the final game of the regular season with right-hander Yu Darvish (13-9, 2.82) facing left-hander Jason Vargas at 2:05 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

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."

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers are getting good at these must-win games.

They scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh and held on for a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, keeping themselves very much alive in the American League wild-card race with the weekend to go.

The Rangers finally picked up some ground on one of the wild-card front-runners, as the Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3. The Cleveland Indians won their eighth straight game, beating the Minnesota Twins 12-6.

The Rangers trail both teams by a game with two games to go in the regular season.

Taking the lead: The Rangers got themselves into the Angels' bullpen -- one of their favorite spoils -- and immediately regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Ian Kinsler walked to start the inning against Juan Gutierrez. He went to second when he drew a wild pickoff throw from Gutierrez. Elvis Andrus followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Kinsler to third. With the Angels playing the infield in, Alex Rios slapped a single through the right side to score Kinsler for a 4-3 lead. Rios then stole second. On A.J. Pierzynski's infield single to shortstop, Rios came steaming around third to score when Angels shortstop Erick Aybar threw to first base.

Wild night for C.J.: Rangers fans know what a roller-coaster ride it can be with C.J. Wilson on the mound. Texas took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third thanks to three wild pitches, two hit batters and a single allowed by Wilson. He hit A.J. Pierzynski to force in a run as the Rangers took a 2-1 lead. Then Alex Rios scored on a wild pitch for a 3-1 lead. The Rangers did have two runners in scoring position with one out and a chance to extend the lead, but Jeff Baker and Mitch Moreland struck out to end the threat.

Ogando's night: Alexi Ogando kept the Rangers in the game, leaving with the score tied at 3-3, but he did give up the lead in the top of the fifth. Leading 3-1, Ogando allowed a leadoff single to No. 9 hitter Austin Romine, who had also singled and scored in the third inning. After Erick Aybar flied out, Kole Calhoun had a ground-ball single into right field to put runners at first and third. Ogando then walked the dangerous Mike Trout to get to former Ranger Josh Hamilton, who grounded a single through the right side to score Romine and Calhoun to tie the game at 3-3.

The 'pen: Wilson and the Angels found out for the second straight night that the Rangers' bullpen is hardly out of steam. The trio of Jason Frasor, Neal Cotts and Tanner Scheppers did serious damage Friday night. They retired all eight batters they faced and totaled six strikeouts. Scheppers had the big inning, facing Trout-Hamilton-Howie Kendrick. Scheppers blew 98 mph fastballs by Trout and Hamilton and got Kendrick to bounce out to second.

Just missed: Leonys Martin almost played the hero again for the Rangers. With runners at first and second and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Martin stung a line drive on C.J. Wilson's 120th pitch into center field. For a moment it looked like Martin would give the Rangers a lead for a third straight night, but Hamilton and his fake beard were able to run it down for the third out.

Up next: The Rangers and Los Angeles Angels have to set the alarm clocks way earlier for Saturday's new start time of 11:05 a.m. in Arlington with rain expected later in the day. For Texas, left-hander Derek Holland (10-9, 3.33 ERA) will face Angels right-hander Garrett Richards (7-7, 4.09) on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and 1540-AM.

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 -- Consider this: The Rangers overcame the worst inning of defense in franchise history Thursday night to stay alive in a wild American League wild-card race.

Isn't baseball fun?

The night ended with a celebration at home plate after pinch hitter Jurickson Profar delivered a walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth. It vaulted the Rangers to a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels and helped them keep pace in the wild-card standings, a game behind the Cleveland Indians and two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rangers got another clutch hit from Leonys Martin, and closer Joe Nathan kept the score tied going into the bottom of the ninth by getting two strikeouts with the go-ahead run at third base in the top half of the inning.

Way before that, the Rangers coughed up a 3-1 lead with four errors in the top of the second. It was the most errors a Texas team has made in an inning in 41 years in Arlington.

One by Mitch Moreland. Two by Ian Kinsler, on the same play. And one by Adrian Beltre.

For some reason, Elvis Andrus forgot to make one for the infield cycle.

The Angels scored three runs to take a 4-3 lead, taking advantage of the first time a team has made four errors in an inning of an American League game since 2007.

The Rangers could have been left in tatters, especially after they grounded into double plays in the fourth and fifth innings with the tying run on third base.

Instead, they found a way to pull out a massive win. They found a way to make a four-error inning a mere footnote to Thursday's game.

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers are running out of time, so all they can do is keep winning -- the way they did Wednesday night -- rallying past the lowly Houston Astros for a 7-3 victory.

Eventually the Rangers will get some help. Right?

It didn't look good around the time the Rangers came to bat in the bottom of the fourth inning trailing the Astros 3-1. Texas had mustered one hit off Houston starter Dallas Keuchel.

Making things more tense, Evan Longoria had just hit a three-run home run to give Tampa Bay a 6-2 lead on the Yankees. Cleveland was beating the White Sox for the second straight night.

And it looked as if the Rangers were going quietly in the fourth with Adrian Beltre and A.J. Pierzynski both grounding out.

Then Jeff Baker, playing in his first game in the three-game series, had a single. Mitch Moreland walked. And Craig Gentry was hit by a pitch.

The Rangers were building momentum. They took the lead with one swing when Leonys Martin, in a 4-for-22 skid, lined a double past Astros right fielder L.J. Hoes to the wall to clear the bases for a 4-3 lead. Ian Kinsler and Alex Rios followed with RBI singles for a 6-3 lead.

Just like that, the Rangers were on their way to their 17th win of the season against their in-state rivals. And, yes, still staying within striking distances of the Rays and Indians with four games to go in what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting races in which the Rangers have been.

The Rangers remained two games behind Tampa Bay and a game behind Cleveland in the chase for the two wild-card spots. It's frustrating for the Rangers that the Rays and Indians are both riding five-game winning streaks. Shortstop Elvis Andrus admitted that again Wednesday night.

But the Rangers aren't buckling under the pressure of needing to win.

"We put ourselves in this position," Kinsler said. "We need to win some games and get some help."

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers finished off a sweep of the Houston Astros on Wednesday night with a 7-3 victory and they needed it, because the teams they are chasing in the American League wild-card race keep on winning.

The Rangers completed their season series with the Houston Astros with a 17-2 record, their most wins in a single season against an opponent in franchise history.

AL wild card: The Rangers have won three straight games but haven't picked up any ground on Tampa Bay or Cleveland. The Rays stayed two ahead of the Rangers with an 8-3 win at New York and the Indians beat the White Sox 7-2 to stay one game up on Texas.

Must-have inning: The Rangers trailed 3-1 before they erupted for five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Both Tampa Bay and Cleveland had comfortable leads in their games at the time. The Rangers loaded the bases after two were out. Jeff Baker had a single, Mitch Moreland had a walk and Craig Gentry was hit by a pitch. Leonys Martin then cleared the bases with a clutch line drive double into right field that got past L.J. Hoes to the wall. Ian Kinsler and Alex Rios later had RBI singles to extend the Rangers' lead to 6-3.

Laird homers for Astros: Brandon Laird -- Former Ranger Gerald Laird's brother -- flashed his power with a two-run home run to straightaway center field in the top of the fourth as Houston took a 3-1 lead. Martin got back to the wall and made a leaping effort but the ball eluded his glove and went over the fence for Laird's fifth home run.

Perez gets quality start: Rookie Martin Perez delivered a quality start despite giving up the lead in the top of the fourth. He went seven innings and gave up three runs and six hits. Perez won his 10th game of the season as he joined Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Matt Garza as double-digit winners this season.

Kinsler goes deep: Ian Kinsler added to the Rangers' lead with a solo shot to left field with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, giving Texas a 7-3 lead. It was Kinsler's first home run at Rangers Ballpark since July 3. He had four home runs on the road before finally going deep in Arlington.

Gentry reaches 20: Gentry stole his 20th base in the third inning, extending his career high. The Rangers have four players with 20 or more steals this season; the others are Elvis Andrus with 41, Rios with 40 (26 for the White Sox before he arrived in Texas) and Martin with 34.

Up next: The Rangers play their final four games of the regular season at home against the rival Los Angeles Angels. Even with the Halos eliminated, it will be an intense series. The Rangers will call on right-hander Garza (10-6, 3.90 ERA) against Angels right-hander Jerome Williams (9-10, 4.55) in the opener on Thursday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and 1540-AM.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Adrian Beltre ended a long home run drought and the Rangers held on for a 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

The Rangers stayed within a game of the Cleveland Indians for the final wild-card spot after the Indians had a two-run, walk-off homer from pinch hitter Jason Giambi.

Texas is two games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the first wild-card spot after the Rays won in New York against the Yankees 7-0. All three teams have five games left.

Beltre finally homers: Beltre ended his September home run drought in the bottom of the sixth to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead. He slugged a 1-2 fastball from Brad Peacock into the left-field seats for his 29th of the season. It was Beltre's first home run in 83 at-bats this month and his first since Aug. 28 against Seattle.

Soto power: Geovany Soto started Tuesday's game, the fourth straight time with Yu Darvish pitching, and the Rangers have benefited from his bat just as much as his work behind the plate. Soto tied the game at one in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single, sneaking a ground ball past Brett Wallace. Soto is batting .393 with two home runs and five RBIs in his past nine games.

Rangers take lead: Craig Gentry had a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth, which gives him nine hits in his past 18 at-bats. He went to second on Leonys Martin's sacrifice bunt and scored on Ian Kinsler's RBI single for a 2-1 lead.

Darvish gets no-decision: Darvish allowed only two runs in 5⅓ innings, but it was another start in which he didn't make it through six innings. That's three times in five starts this month. Darvish also gave up a lead with a home run again, the third time that's happened since the All-Star break. This one came from Astros third baseman Matt Dominguez, who tied the game in the top of the sixth with his 21st home run. He has three long balls against Darvish this season, the only hits he has against him.

Darvish K meter: Darvish had nine strikeouts, giving him a major league-best 269 K's for the season. Darvish struck out the side in the fourth and fifth innings.

Cotts and Scheppers: Manager Ron Washington has been calling upon Tanner Scheppers and Neal Cotts earlier in games and asking them to get an extra out or two, and they have been brilliant. Cotts came on with a runner on in the top of the sixth with the Rangers leading 3-2 and got out of a jam with a runner in scoring position. Scheppers entered in the seventh with a runner at second and one out and got a lineout and a strikeout. Scheppers then got two quick outs in the top of the eighth before a walk and a single forced Washington to go the bullpen again, this time to Jason Frasor.

Frasor gets big out: Frasor, the losing pitcher in Kansas City on Friday night when he loaded the bases and had to watch as Neftali Feliz walked in the go-ahead run, had to keep two runners put on base by Scheppers from scoring. He did it. Frasor got ahead of Astros catcher Carlos Corporan with two fastballs. Then, he threw another one that Corporan popped up to shallow center field for the third out.

Up next: The Rangers go for a three-game sweep of Houston when left-hander Martin Perez (9-5, 3.54 ERA) faces Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel (6-9, 4.99 ERA) at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday night on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM and 1540 AM.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers outfielder Alex Rios hit for the cycle -- one of many highlights as the Rangers pounded the Houston Astros 12-0 on Monday night.

The Rangers moved to within a game of Cleveland for the second wild-card spot. Texas is two games back of Tampa Bay with six games left for the first wild card after the Rays had another walk-off win, their second in four games against Baltimore.

Rios goes for cycle: Rios became the eighth Rangers player to hit for the cycle on Monday night. His triple in the bottom of the sixth to score Elvis Andrus completed the cycle. Rios set himself up for Monday's feat with a home run in the fourth inning off David Martinez to leave himself a triple short. Rios had a two-run double in the first inning and a single to lead off the third inning. He is the third American League player to hit for the cycle this season. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels did it on May 21 against Seattle and Houston's Brandon Barnes had one on July 19, also against the Mariners.

Early lead: The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Ian Kinsler had a leadoff single. Andrus followed with a single up the middle that moved Kinsler to third. Andrus moved up to second on a throw to third, setting up Rios, who had doubled into the left-field corner.

Breaking it open: The Rangers took advantage of two walks in the bottom of the third. David Murphy drew a walk with the bases loaded for a 4-0 lead. Leoyns Martin then broke the game open with a three-run double to center field for a 7-0 lead.

Holland deals: Derek Holland continued his upswing and finally won his 10th game in his ninth attempt. Holland hadn't won since Aug. 4 against Oakland; he's had three losses since then. Holland allowed six hits in nine innings for his second complete-game shutout of the season. Holland also had a 2-0 complete-game win at New York against the Yankees on June 27. His toughest inning was the top of the third, when he allowed leadoff singles to Trevor Crowe and Carlos Corporan with the Rangers leading 3-0. Holland fought back to retire the next three batters, ending the inning when Jose Altuve popped out to shortstop.

Finally a win at home: The Rangers won at home for the first time in September. They had a seven-game losing streak at Rangers Ballpark before Monday night's blowout. Texas improved its home record to 40-35 with six games left at Rangers Ballpark.

Up next: The Rangers go for a two-game winning streak on Tuesday night with right-hander Yu Darvish (13-9, 2.81 ERA) facing Astros righty Brad Peacock (5-5, 5.24) at 7:05 p.m. on Fox Sports Southwest and ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM.

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. -- 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.