AL West-leading Rangers win again, 6-2 over Tigers

The New York Yankees could have clinched a postseason berth with a victory on Wednesday night. The Yankees slowly battled back, eventually taking the lead on Alex Rodriguez’s sixth-inning home run.

The Minnesota Twins (81-75) also still have their playoff hopes alive. Texas is one of the best in the AL in terms of walks, earning an average of 3.1 per game.

The victory broke the Mariners’ six-game losing streak.

J.D. Martinez went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and two runs scored Tuesday against the Rangers. The Astros lead the Angels by a ½ game for the second wild card. The Rangers host the Angels for a season-ending four-game series beginning Thursday night.

Texas surged to a 5-2 lead – including Shin-soo Choo’s two-run circuit clout and Rougned Odor’s RBI triple – in the first inning and then had to hold off the wounded Tigers. Buck Farmer retired his first five batters before the doubles, but took the loss.

Gallardo found trouble with two on and one out in the sixth.

Neftali Feliz was the Rangers’ closer when the franchise won AL pennants in 2010-11.

The Rangers hadn’t lost three in a row since August 9-12. He wound up at 71 pitches when he was removed with two outs in the second. He was pulled after five flawless innings a week earlier against the Chicago White Sox at 63 pitches.

Making perhaps his final career start, Zito was solid, posting four innings of two-run ball. That turned out to be the winning run as the final score did not change.

Lucas Duda hit two homers for the NL East champion Mets, who hadn’t lost away from home since September 6, at Miami.

In a game that will be remembered far longer for what Brad Ausmus did – or, more accurately, didn’t do – with a struggling young pitcher on the mound, the Texas Rangers scored one more run than the Detroit Tigers in a televised comedy event that loosely resembled a baseball game.

Wednesday that meant beating Detroit rookie left-hander Matt Boyd for a third time this season. The Rangers have won each of his last eight starts. The lefty struck out Duda with runners on second and third to end the fifth. The offense as a whole pounded out seven hits. The over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Texas. And then he left it. Mike Napoli’s two-run homer to left made it 6-2. Norris lasted just 1 2/3 innings, surrendering five hits and a home run.

Feliz ended the game and picked up his fourth save with Detroit with a double-play ground ball from third baseman Adrian Beltre. He stayed in the game as the team’s designated hitter.

And yet, with the Rangers scoring on handfuls of plays that would make a little leaguer blush, and the Tigers batting like. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for his 38th save in 40 chances. We’ll hit on all of the biggest moments from the day that you may have missed, while providing highlights, photos and interesting stats.