Texas Rangers Beat Twins 6-2 to Keep AL West Title Hopes Alive

Division Battle Goes to the Wire

The Texas Rangers kept their season alive on Saturday with a 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis. The victory pushed Texas to an 80-81 record, meaning both their pursuit of an AL West title and a .500 finish will come down to Sunday.

Houston sat at 79-81 before their late game in Sacramento. The Astros hold the tiebreaker over Texas because they won the head to head season series. Whichever team takes the division crown will finish with the lowest winning percentage for any playoff team in a full season, dipping below the .506 mark set by the 2005 San Diego Padres.

Bats Deliver in Minnesota

Danny Jansen helped lead the offense with a home run and two runs batted in. Jake Burger also added a home run in the win. The bottom third of the Texas batting order produced steady results, going a combined 6 for 11 with four runs and four RBI.

"We're here, and it's a chance, and we're excited for it," Jansen said. "I've never been a part of a game like this, but it's going to be a lot of fun to go out there and leave it all on the field and control what we can."

Nicky Lopez hit a two out double in the second inning to score the opening run for Texas. Lopez later exited the game in the fourth inning after suffering a left leg injury on an awkward step at first base.

Pitching and Defense Hold On

Nathan Eovaldi made his first mound appearance since Aug. 7. He pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up one run in the opening frame. Left hander Robert Garcia earned the victory out of the bullpen by delivering 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Brandon Nimmo contributed on both sides of the ball while playing through cramps. Nimmo hit an RBI double and prevented two runs with a diving catch in right field to retire Kody Clemens in the third inning.

All Eyes on the Regular Season Finale

The Rangers now look toward Sunday with everything on the line. Left hander MacKenzie Gore takes the mound for Texas, carrying an 8-11 record and a 4.59 ERA. Minnesota will counter with right hander Dean Kremer, who enters with a 4-5 record and a 4.97 ERA.

"I always say, you worry about tomorrow tomorrow. You have to win today," manager Skip Schumaker said. "Tomorrow's pretty important, too."