10:19 PM on Sep 30, 2023 CDT
The magic number is down to one.
The same can be said for the remaining games left in the regular season.
Advertisem*nt
The AL West title all comes down to Sunday.
Advertisem*nt
Rangers
Be the smartest Rangers fan. Get the latest news.
Or with:
By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy
Thanks to the Houston Astros’ 1-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night, the Texas Rangers weren’t able to clinch the division championship with their 6-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. The Rangers were, however, still able to clinch a wild card berth at the very least.
There’s still more to play for on the final day of the regular season. Here’s how the Texas Rangers — who play the Mariners at 2:10 p.m. on Sunday — can still win the division title in Game 162.
Advertisem*nt
If the Rangers win
Well, rejoice.
Advertisem*nt
A win Sunday would secure the Rangers’ eighth AL West championship and first since 2016, regardless of what the Astros do against the Diamondbacks. The Rangers would be the No. 2 seed in the AL and earn a first-round bye into the ALDS, where they’d play the winner of the No. 3/No. 6 Wild Card series.
Advertisem*nt
The AL Central champion Minnesota Twins are locked into the No. 3 seed. The No. 6 seed will go to either Houston or the Toronto Blue Jays; the Astros get it with a loss against the Diamondbacks on Sunday or a Toronto Blue Jays win; the Blue Jays get it with a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays and a Houston win.
If the Rangers lose
Two scenarios arise.
Advertisem*nt
The first: If the Rangers lose and the Astros lose, Texas would still clinch the AL West title. See above for the ramifications of that.
The second: If the Rangers lose and the Astros win, then Houston would win the AL West title and be the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. In that case, the Rangers would be a wild card team. Texas would be the No. 5 seed regardless of how the Toronto Blue Jays finish against the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow; if the Blue Jays win and the Rangers lose, they’d both finish with a 90-72 record, but Texas’ 6-1 record vs. Toronto would give them the tiebreaker.
In that case, the Rangers would play at the No. 4 seed Rays starting Tuesday. Texas went 4-2 against Tampa Bay this season.
On Twitter: @McFarland_Shawn
Advertisem*nt
Related Stories
Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
Shawn McFarland, SportsDay HS reporter. Shawn covers preps for SportsDay HS. He joined The Dallas Morning News after covering UConn basketball, football and high school sports for The Hartford Courant. A Boston area native, Shawn graduated from Springfield College in 2018 and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Baseball America.
shawn.mcfarland@dallasnews.com McFarland_Shawn
