The Texas Rangers’ final series this season against a team with a winning record begins tonight, and with it comes a chance to move significantly closer to the American League West crown.

Winning two of the three games against the second-place Houston Astros (75-68) would reduce the Rangers’ magic number to six. A sweep would make it four and make clinching this weekend at Globe Life Park a possibility.

The Rangers (85-59) are 5-1 this season at Minute Maid Park and 13-3 against the Astros, who have lost four of their past five games and trail the Rangers by 9 1/2 games. Houston, though, remains in the wild-card hunt.　

The Rangers will have 15 games remaining after the series and will play Oakland (60-82), Los Angeles (63-79), Milwaukee 64-79 and Tampa Bay (60-82).

Probable pitchers

Monday: LHP Martin Perez (10-10, 4.25 ERA) vs. RHP Doug Fister (12-11, 4.14), 7:05 p.m. (TV: FSSW)

Tuesday: RHP A.J. Griffin (7-4, 4.92) vs. RHP Brad Peacock (0-0, 3.38), 7:05 p.m. (TV: FSSW)

Wednesday: RHP Yu Darvish (5-4, 3.28) vs. Joe Musgrove (2-4, 4.78), 7:05 p.m. (TV: FSSW)