Texas Rangers face critical stretch as they fight for AL playoff berth
Despite a litany of injuries, the Texas Rangers refuse to bow out of the playoff hunt.
But coming off a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers, who have the best record in baseball, the Rangers still have an uphill climb to reach the postseason.
The Rangers (77-70) sit 1.5 games out of the final American League wild-card spot held by the Seattle Mariners (78-68) and 2.5 games out of first place in the AL West behind the Houston Astros (79-67).
The Rangers have won four straight and seven of their past 10 games, but the Mariners have kept pace, going 6-4 while riding a five-game winning streak.
The Rangers have 15 games remaining on their schedule, and the next six will be among the most crucial, on the road in three-game series against the New York Mets, who hold the last NL wild-card spot, and the Astros. The first game at the Mets is at 6:10 p.m. Friday.
First baseman Jake Burger hit two home runs to power the Rangers to a 6-3 victory over the Brewers on Wednesday at Globe Life Field to complete the series sweep.
Other AL playoff contenders
The Mariners will look to extend their winning streak in a four-game series at the Los Angeles Angels starting Thursday before three games at the Kansas City Royals, who are fading from the wild-card race at four games back.
The Astros play a final game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, then go to Atlanta for a three-game series against the Braves before their clash with the Rangers.
The top two AL wild-card spots belong to the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, who play a three-game series this weekend in New York.
Rangers fans should be rooting for the Bronx Bombers in their series since the team holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Red Sox but not the Yankees.
