Dein erstes Forum » Rochester but leads AL rookies in homers (14) and

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Seven days after the Texas Rangers clinched their second straight American League West title, they took another significant step toward their ultimate goal.Yu Darvish looked playoff-ready with a season-high 12 strikeouts in six innings as the Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Friday night and clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason.The Rangers can be tied by the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, and they own tiebreakers over both teams. The AL owns home-field advantage in the World Series thanks to its win in the All-Star Game.Texas has never previously owned home-field advantage throughout the postseason and has never won a World Series. This clinching came thanks to the teams record 53rd home victory.Were playing really good baseball at home, shortstop Elvis Andrus said, so its always good to start everything at home.Darvish (7-5) allowed one run, three hits and one walk. His 28th career game of double-digit strikeouts is the second-most in a pitchers first 100 major league starts, topped only by Dwight Gooden (31). Darvish will likely start Game 2 of the division series -- following Cole Hamels -- in his first postseason appearance since losing the 2012 AL wild-card game to Baltimore.He looks a little bit more electric to me, said Evan Longoria, who had two of the Rays four hits. His ball is moving in different directions.Shin-Soo Choo returned to Texas lineup after missing 39 games with a fractured left forearm. Choo pulled a single to right in his first plate appearance since Aug. 15 and went 1-for-4.Matt Andriese (8-8) gave up three runs and seven hits, including solo home runs to Carlos Beltran and Rougned Odor.Darvish went into the game averaging 11.45 strikeouts per nine innings this season, best in the league. In his final four starts of the season, he fanned 38 in 24 2/3 innings.Ive had pretty good results lately, Darvish said through a translator, and I think Im in a good position now.Beltran homered just inside the right-field foul pole, his 29th of the season and seventh since joining Texas at the non-waiver trade deadline.Odors homer was his 33rd, tying Adrian Beltre for the team lead this season. The only Texas second baseman to hit more in a season is Alfonso Soriano, with 35 in 2005.Longoria had two doubles, one driving in the Rays run, giving him career highs of 171 hits and 80 extra-base hits this season.CHOO KNOWS HIS MISSIONResults arent the most important thing for Choo with him scheduled to play all three games of the series, which will determine whether hes on the 25-man postseason roster.My job is to show them Im healthy the next three days, he said.AFTER DARVISH, MORE ZEROESSam Dyson earned his 38th save. Four Texas relievers worked three scoreless innings, running the bullpens streak to a club-record 29 2/3, and it allowed one hit and one walk.These are guys weve seen be extremely effective, overpowering, have the ability to get outs when they need to get outs, manager Jeff Banister said.SHORT HOPSTexas (95-65) is one win short of tying the club record set in 2011. ... The Rays are 10-18 in September, the most losses in one month for the team since going 7-20 in July 2007. ... Logan Forsythe, who has been the Rays leadoff hitter in 123 games this season, appeared as a pinch-hitter and will return to the lineup Saturday night. ... Ian Desmond increased his majors-leading total of outfield errors to 12 with two dropped fly balls.UP NEXTTampa Bay: Jake Odorizzi (9-6) hasnt won since Aug. 30. The Rays have lost in his past four starts, during which he has had a 5.40 ERA.Texas: Colby Lewis (6-4), who figures to start Game 3 of the division series, is 0-3 with a 9.75 ERA in three September starts after missing two months with a strained lat muscle. Lewis lasted only 1 1/3 innings in his previous start Sunday at Oakland.LaMarcus Aldridge Jersey .Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. DeMar DeRozan Spurs Jersey . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. https://www.spurslockerroom.com/George-Gervin-City-Edition-Jersey/ . 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He also had a single.Joe Mauer was 4 for 4 and homered in the eighth off Andrew Miller, who was making his first appearance with Cleveland after being acquired Sunday from the Yankees.Jose Berrios (2-1) retired 15 straight after a three-run first inning. The rookie right-hander, recalled from Triple-A Rochester before the game, allowed four hits in six innings.Salazar (11-4) lost for the first time since May 22. The right-hander allowed three homers and was charged with six runs in two innings, the shortest outing of his career.Miller received a standing ovation from the crowd of 15,018 when he ran in from the bullpen. He retired Kepler on a groundout, the only other batter he faced.Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Indians, whose lead in the AL Central over idle Detroit was cut to four games.dddddddddddd Minnesota is 6-4 this season against Cleveland.Kepler began the season at Rochester but leads AL rookies in homers (14) and RBI (44). He has homered 13 times and driven in 37 runs since June 19.Eddie Rosario led off the second with a home run. Jorge Polanco had a three-run triple in the third and tripled again in the fifth.Jose Ramirezs RBI single and Lonnie Chisenhalls two-run double gave Cleveland a brief lead in the first.Salazar didnt pitch in the All-Star Game because the Indians wanted to rest his arm. He pitched well in beating Kansas City on July 20 after going 10 days between starts, but has allowed 10 runs in six innings over his last two outings.TRAINERS ROOMTwins: OF Byron Buxton (right knee) is considered day-to-day after an MRI revealed no damage beyond an existing bone bruise.UP NEXTTwins: RHP Kyle Gibson went six innings and allowed two runs in his last start, a July 28 no-decision against Baltimore.Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco is scheduled to make his 100th career start. He is 5-2 with a 1.61 ERA in his last eight outings. ' ' '