Texas Rangers pinch hitter Rowdy Tellez (44) hits an RBI double in the eighth inning against the New York Mets. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers just keep finding ways to win lately, and on Saturday it was a rally from two runs down to beat the New York Mets, 3-2, at Citi Field.
Texas is in do-everything to win mode. The Rangers cut short starter Patrick Corbin’s start in the fifth inning and went to the bullpen, which threw scoreless baseball in his stead. The Rangers had no home runs, but the rally was fueled by a Joc Pederson sacrifice fly, a Rowdy Tellez ground-rule double and a Wyatt Langford RBI single.
Right now, it’s whatever it takes for Texas to find its way to clinching a playoff berth for the second time in three seasons.
The Rangers (79-70) have now won 16 of their last 20 games and six straight games, the latter of which matches a season high.
Entering the game, the Rangers were two games back of the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners in both the AL West race and the AL Wild Card race, as the pair share the division lead and the final berth in the wild card. Texas wrapped up a bit early, so the Rangers waited to see what the Astros and Mariners did.
Houston was no help. The Astors beat the Atlanta Braves, 6-2. The Rangers remained two games back.
The Mariners were at the Los Angeles Angels. Seattle won, 5-3. So the race remained in statis for another day as none of the three teams made a move.
Texas has three games ahead with Houston on Monday-Wednesday at Daikin Park in Houston. The Rangers are done with the Mariners for the season and Seattle owns the tiebreaker. One way or another, Texas must overcome at least one of these teams to complete a rather improbable run to the playoffs. At one point in July, they were 11 games back in the division.
Texas Rangers remaining schedule (13 games): Sept. 14, at New York Mets; Sept. 15-17 at Houston; Sept. 19-21 vs. Miami; Sept. 23-25, vs. Minnesota; Sept. 26-28, at Cleveland.
Houston Astros Remaining Schedule (13 games): Sept. 14, at Atlanta; Sept. 15-17, vs. Texas; Sept. 19-21, vs. Seattle; Sept. 23-25 at Athletics; Sept. 26-28, at Los Angeles Angels.
Seattle Mariners remaining schedule (13 games): Sept. 14, vs. Los Angeles Angels; Sept. 16-18 at Kansas City; Sept. 19-21 at Houston; Sept. 23-25, vs. Colorado; Sept. 26-28, vs. Los Angeles Dodgers.