Texas Rangers claim playoff berth, play for West Division title on Sunday

The playoff drought is over for the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 6-1 on Saturday to clinch their first playoff berth since 2016.

The Rangers (90-71) can clinch the American League’s West Division on Sunday with either a win over Seattle or a Houston loss to Arizona.

If the Rangers lose and the Astros (89-72) win, the Astros will win the West Division.

The Astros beat Arizona 1-0 on Saturday to set up the crucial final day of the season.

Both games start at 2:10 p.m. on Sunday.

The winner of the West receives a first-round bye in the MLB playoffs and will finish as the No. 2 seed in the American League and advance directly to the Divisional Playoffs next Saturday at home.

The other team will play in the best-of-three wild card round beginning on Tuesday.

The Rangers used a four-run third inning en route to beating Seattle. The loss eliminated the Mariners from the playoff contention.

Jonah Heim drove in three runs for the Rangers, including a two-run single in the third. He added a bases-loaded walk in the fourth.

Josh Sborz, the first of four Rangers relievers, gained the win.