Rangers complete sweep of A’s, set sights on Astros series

OAKLAND, Calif. Let the past three days serve as the perfect example of what a first-place team in a pennant chase is supposed to do against a last-place team in September.

Three games, three Texas Rangers wins.

As a result of dispatching the Oakland A’s 8-1 on Thursday, the Rangers will carry a 3 1/2-game lead in the American League West into their three-game weekend series against the second-place Astros.

No matter what happens at Minute Maid Park, the Rangers will emerge for the final week of the regular season in first place.

But in a series that is being billed as a chance for the Astros to close the gap, it could be the series in which the Rangers pull away for their first division title since 2011.

“That’s how we’re looking at it,” first baseman Prince Fielder said.

The Rangers finished the sweep of the A’s behind left-hander Cole Hamels, who allowed an unearned run in six innings, and lowered their magic number to seven. The Rangers have won the past eight games that Hamels has started, a streak that dates to Aug. 17.

The series saw the Rangers win in a variety of ways with quality offense, with quality pitching and with a combination of the two. They won for the 10th time in their past 13 games and improved to a season-best 14 games above .500.

Fielder said the Rangers are playing their best baseball of the season at the right time.

“The pitching staff’s been good. The bullpen’s awesome. Timely hitting,” Fielder said. “We’re kind of getting it out of the way early so that there’s not as much pressure at the end. I think that’s helping. The offense is giving some breathing room, and the pitchers are giving us a chance to relax.”

The Astros are scheduled to start their three best pitchers this weekend and end the series with ace Dallas Keuchel, who is 14-0 this season at home. The Rangers, though, rocked Keuchel for nine runs last week at Globe Life Park and are 12-4 this season against the Astros.

The Rangers have won the past seven.

Hamels (5-1) took advantage of early offense and pitched around walks in three straight innings. The double play was his best friend, as he got four of them in the first five innings.

The Rangers scored twice in the first and once in the second against Chris Bassitt, who started in what was a bullpen day for the A’s as ace Sonny Gray was given an extra day’s rest.

Delino DeShields started the game with a single to center, stole second base and score as Shin-Soo Choo doubled off the right-field wall. After a Fielder groundout moved Choo to first, Adrian Beltre ripped a single to left field for a 2-0 lead.

DeShields had the third Rangers single in the second, and it brought home Rougned Odor for a 3-0 advantage.

The A’s got the run back as DeShields dropped a Jake Smolinski looping liner that would have been the final out. Instead, Josh Reddick scored from third and Hamels had to throw six extra pitches in the inning.

Oakland threatened again in the fifth, turning a leadoff walk and a one-out single into a first-and-third situation, but Hamels got No. 9 hitter Carson Blair to bounce into a double play.

The Rangers jumped on the opportunity in the sixth using a single, a bunt, a walk and a DeShields single to make it 4-1. After Choo struck out and Fielder walked, Beltre singled in two more to make it 6-1.

Fielder launched a two-run homer in the eighth. The ability to keep scoring and keep the pressure on opponents is a sign that the Rangers aren’t relenting in their pursuit of the West crown.

“That’s the plan,” Fielder said. “It’s nothing personal. We want to win. We’re not going out there to win friendly. We’re just trying to win the game.”

That’s what they’ll be trying to do this weekend at Houston.

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