Playoff Spot In Sight For Astros After They Take Down Rangers 12-4 At Globe Life Field
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Things continue to go downhill for the Texas Rangers, as the Houston Astros are on the verge of clinching the American League's last playoff spot.
Astros manager Dusty Baker was excited by the performance of some of the team's mainstays.
"I'm just hoping that these guys are about to get hot," Baker said.
Just in time for the postseason.
George Springer, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Josh Reddick all homered with runners on base, and each finished with three hits, as the Astros trimmed their magic number to one for clinching the American League's last playoff spot with a 12-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night.
"I think that's what we should be doing. We're a very good offense," said Bregman, who had three extra-base hits. "It's repeating. We've had a few games this year I thought we swung the bat well, but we didn't really repeat it, so now it's time to repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, and keep doing that."
The Astros (29-28) have to win only one of their three remaining games against Texas to secure second place in the AL West, and a spot in baseball's expanded playoff during the pandemic-shortened season. They also get in if the Angels (26-31) lose any in their final three-game series against the NL-best Dodgers.
Houston's three-year reign as AL West champion has already been ended by Oakland. Seattle had the day off when the Astros won to eliminate them from the playoff chase.
Bregman, Springer, Altuve and Reddick have been part of the recent playoff runs with the Astros, including their 2017 World Series title and another AL pennant last year.
A's right-hander Mike Fiers was the whistleblower in the Astros' offseason sign-stealing scandal. He publicly called out his former club for cheating in an article published by The Athletic last November. Manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow lost their jobs after MLB's investigation into the claims.
Baker, hired just before spring training, is now in line to become the first major league manager to take five different teams to the postseason. He's already managed the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals in the playoffs.
The Astros had a 10-0 lead in 5 2-3 inning against Texas workhorse Lance Lynn (6-3) before their rookie starter Cristian Javier (5-2) gave up a run.
"It's kind of a sour taste in our mouths just to see the way that finished off," Texas manager Chris Woodward said. "That doesn't change the way he pitched for us all year."
The 10 runs allowed were a career high for the 33-year-old Lynn, who has another year left on his Texas contract.
"I'd like to do a little better, but that happens," Lynn said.
Javier struck out six while allowing three runs over 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander walked one, hit a batter and threw three wild pitches. He held the Rangers without a run until Willie Calhoun's two-run homer in the sixth.
"Javier was exceptional for five innings, he ran out of gas a little bit," Baker said.
Maybe it was all the sitting around during those big innings for the Astros.
Bregman had an RBI triple and scored in the first to put Houston ahead to stay, and Springer's 14th homer was a three-run shot on a 445-foot drive to straightway center in the second. Bregman hit a two-run homer in the fifth, an inning before Altuve's three-run shot. Reddick had a two-run homer in the ninth.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
