MINNEAPOLIS — The Texas Rangers will send left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the mound Sunday against the Minnesota Twins needing a win at Target Field and a Houston Astros loss to the Athletics to take the American League West. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m. CT.
Texas and Houston are tied at 80-81 after both won Saturday. The Rangers beat Minnesota 6-2, and the Astros beat the Athletics 13-2 later that night in West Sacramento, Calif. Houston won the season series, so it owns the tiebreaker and clinches the division with a win or a Texas loss. A Rangers win would also get them to 81-81 and a .500 finish.
Texas Runs Back Saturday’s Lineup Behind MacKenzie Gore
Gore enters 8-11 with a 4.59 ERA. Minnesota counters with right-hander Dean Kremer (4-5, 4.97 ERA), who has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last three starts.
The Rangers are using the same lineup that produced all nine starters recording a hit Saturday. Brandon Nimmo leads off in right field, followed by Wyatt Langford in left, Corey Seager at shortstop, and Jake Burger at first base. Ezequiel Durán plays third, and Nicky Lopez is back at second base a day after leaving with a left ankle and heel injury. Danny Jansen catches, Evan Carter plays center field, and Alejandro Osuna is the designated hitter.
Texas is still without Josh Jung, who went on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a broken right hand, and Joc Pederson, who fractured his left hand earlier this month. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said after Saturday’s win that he believes his club is better than its record, and that its players have not quit on him or each other all season.
“Those guys don’t go down without a fight,” Schumaker said. “You can tell that they play for each other. They’re gonna give every single ounce they have and empty the tank, especially this last week. It might be a .500 record right now. Do I think they are a better-than-.500 team? Of course I do. They all do as well.”
Rangers, Astros Chasing The Fewest Wins For A Full-Season Division Winner
Neither team can finish with more than 81 wins. Either would be the fewest for a division winner in a full season, below the 82-80 mark of the 2005 San Diego Padres.
Jansen called it a wild, grindy year and said he could speak for everybody in the clubhouse heading into Sunday.
“We’re all excited. We’re going to go out there and give it everything we got and leave it all on the field,” Jansen said. “It’s been a grindy year for sure, and we’re excited for tomorrow.”
Nathan Eovaldi, who allowed one run over 4 1/3 innings Saturday, said the Rangers wanted to ease the dugout early, and the plan for Sunday is the same.
“It’s a must-win game tomorrow,” Eovaldi said. “The entire season’s on the line. Go out there and play well tomorrow and see what happens tonight, see what happens tomorrow, and see what happens from there.”
