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Texas Rangers clinch AL West with win in Oakland

By Eric Gilmore, The Sports Xchange
Texas Rangers' Adrian Beltre. Photo by Lori Shepler/UPI.
Texas Rangers' Adrian Beltre. Photo by Lori Shepler/UPI. | License Photo

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Cole Hamels pitched seven shutout innings, Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer and the Texan Rangers clinched the American League West crown with a 3-0 victory against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night at the Oakland Coliseum.

The Rangers (91-63) won the West for the second straight year and for the fourth time in the past seven seasons. They've made the postseason five times overall in that span and reached the World Series in 2010 and 2011 but lost both years.

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"It's just the first step," Beltre said from a champagne-soaked clubhouse. "It's just the first step. It's not easy to get where we are right now. We took the first step to win the division and get into the playoffs. We have a good enough team to win the World Series. That's our goal. We're going to celebrate today, but we know this is not just what we accomplished. We want to accomplish a lot more things."

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Hamels (15-5) allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked two. He won for the first time since Aug. 25 against Cleveland. Hamels went 0-1 with a 10.50 ERA in his previous four starts. But he looked ready for the postseason in a rematch against the A's and right-hander Kendall Graveman, seven days after allowing six runs over six innings and getting a no-decision in a 7-6 Rangers win in Arlington.

"There's still a few things I need to work on, but I felt confident I was closer to where I want to be where I know I can go out and make pitches," Hamels said. "You're always kind of trying to work towards something, you're always trying to strive to be better. It's just something where you want to be at your best in the big moments, and I know the big moments are coming."

Graveman (10-11) had a perfect game through six innings but allowed three runs on four hits in seven innings of work. Graveman, who allowed four runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 in a no-decision in his previous start against Texas, lost his third straight game. He struck out three and walked none.

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"He had perfect game type stuff," A's catcher Stephen Vogt said of Graveman. "The only issue with a sinkerballer like that is a ground ball finds a whole, and unfortunately one did. And Adrian Beltre just continues to haunt us."

Carlos Gomez broke up Graveman's perfect game bid in the top of the seventh inning, leading off with an infield single. Gomez easily beat shortstop Marcus Semien's long throw from the hole.

Gomez moved to third on Ian Desmond's sharp single to right and scored when Carlos Beltran grounded out to first baseman Danny Valencia, giving Texas a 1-0 lead.

Beltre crushed Graveman's next pitch over the left field fence for a two-run homer, his 31st of the season, increasing the Rangers' lead to 3-0.

"He was throwing the ball really well," Beltre said of Graveman. "His fastball was moving really well. He got us off-balanced for about six innings. We got lucky. We got a couple of balls that found some holes. We scored just when we needed to win the ball game."

Beltre said he hit a slider over the fence.

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"Which I think was the first slider he threw the whole game," Beltre said. "I was not suspecting that pitch, but he left it right over the plate. I was lucky enough to put a good swing on it."

That was one of the Rangers' few good swings off Graveman.

"If I had to compare it, I think the location was probably the best I've had in a year," Graveman said. "And the sinker was really good so we just kind of stuck with it. I made one bad pitch to Beltre on the homer."

After Hamels exited, Matt Bush pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts and Sam Dyson a scoreless ninth, stranding two runners, for his 36th save.

Rookie Chad Pinder went 2-for-4 with two doubles for the A's.

The A's came close to snapping a scoreless tie in the second inning. After rookie Renato Nunez singled with two outs, Pinder doubled to right-center off Hamels. Third base coach Ron Washington waved Nunez home, but he was thrown out by a few steps on a relay from right fielder Nomar Mazara to second baseman Rougned Odor to catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

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Pinder doubled again in the fifth, this time down the left-field line with one out, but Hamels retired the next two batters, ending the threat.

"It's been great. Just kind of enjoy this moment," Hamels said after the victory. "We're trying to go to the World Series. So just kind of taking it for what it's worth and going on to the next stage."

NOTES: Rangers RHP Jeremy Jeffress, who spent over three weeks at a rehab clinic following his arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol, was cleared by Major League Baseball from the restricted list and rejoined his teammates in Oakland. There is no timetable yet for the reliever to appear in a game. ... Oakland LF Khris Davis returned to the starting lineup after missing two games with a stomach illness. Davis entered Friday's game with 40 home runs, 10 of those against Texas. ... Rangers OF Shin-Soo Choo (fractured left forearm) took batting practice Friday and said he hopes to return to action during the Rangers' final regular-season series against Tampa Bay on Sept. 30-Oct.2. "It is possible if everything goes really well," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. ... The Rangers recalled LHP Andrew Faulkner from Triple-A Round Rock. Faulkner made eight appearances with a 7.94 ERA this season in his first two stints for Texas. He was 5-3 with a 3.97 ERA in 41 games for Round Rock. ... A's INF/OF Arismendy Alcantara sustained a season-ending sprained thumb Wednesday when he slid into second base and was caught stealing for the final out in a 6-5 loss to Houston. His thumb will be placed in a cast, but doctors don't believe he'll need surgery, A's manager Bob Melvin said.

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