Dein erstes Forum » ctory over last years runners-up at Scotstoun

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Adrian Beltre and the Texas Rangers were subdued as they began the celebration, exchanging hugs near the pitchers mound at Oakland Coliseum.Things got more raucous in the clubhouse, with cigar smoke and champagne everywhere.The Rangers are getting pretty good at this division title thing. Now its time to chase some more important hardware.Beltre hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Texas Rangers secured their second straight AL West title, becoming the first American League team to clinch a playoff spot with a 3-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night.Its just the first step, its just the first step, Beltre said.Its 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. Thats our goal. Were going to celebrate today, but we know this is not just what we accomplished. We want to accomplish a lot more things.This is Texas seventh AL West title -- not including the strike-shortened 1994 season -- and fourth since 2010. The Rangers have won division titles in both seasons since manager Jeff Banister took over after losing an AL-high 95 games in 2014.Its a lot of fun to be part of, honestly, Banister said. Hard to describe unless youre there every day, but everyone would rather to go to work where you love the people that youre working with, you enjoy the culture, the camaraderie, and were fortunate that whats we got right now.That camaraderie is a big part of how they got there.I feel like weve always had a lot of emotion, Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis said. We play with a lot of passion, and thats what its all about; thats what makes us good.Beltres homer came during a three-run seventh after Oakland starter Kendall Graveman (10-11) began with six perfect innings. Texas got its first baserunner when Carlos Gomez beat out an infield hit to lead off the seventh against Graveman.He was throwing the ball really well. Beltre said. 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 unloaded on what he believes was Gravemans first slider of the game.I was not suspecting that pitch, but he left it right over the plate, Beltre said. I was lucky enough to put a good swing on it.All-Star left-hander Cole Hamels (15-5), acquired prior to last years non-waiver trade deadline, pitched the division-clinching game for the second year in a row. Last year, he threw a three-hitter in the last game of the regular season to beat the Los Angeles Angels.Hamels struck out seven and allowed no walks in seven innings of six-hit ball in what for him was an important bounce-back after allowing 21 earned run in 18 innings over his previous four starts.Graveman allowed three runs and four hits over seven innings. He threw 77 pitches and went to just one three-ball count, to Nomar Mazara leading off the third.The As brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth but closer Sam Dyson got pinch-hitter Yonder Alonso to hit into a fielders choice for the last out to record his 36th save.It feels really good. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus said. Last year was a little hard the way everything ended up, especially for myself, but I tried to use it to motivate me, and thats what I did all offseason. Really happy everything we did as a team, and weve got to keep going.BEST IN THE WESTThis is the third time the Rangers have won back-to-back titles, having also done so in 1998 and 1999 and then in 2010 and 2011. Current As third-base coach Ron Washington was their manager for the most recent back-to-back, when they made their first two World Series appearances.After being the AL Wests first-place team since May 29, the Rangers finally clinched in their 154th game. That matched their earliest clinch ever -- they also won the division in the 154th game in 2011, also at Oakland.JEFFRESS REINSTATEDRangers reliever Jeremy Jeffress has been reinstated by Major League Baseball and joined the team after being placed on the restricted list following an arrest on a drunken driving charge last month. Jeffress was arrested Aug. 26., less than a month after being acquired in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers before the Aug. 1 deadline.The right-handed reliever was at an inpatient rehab clinic for a little more than three weeks, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. It isnt clear whether Jeffress will be on the teams postseason roster.ROSTER MOVEThe Rangers recalled LHP Andrew Faulkner from Triple-A Round Rock. Faulkner has been working out at the teams Surprise, Arizona, training complex since Sept. 12.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: OF Shin-Soo Choo took batting practice for the first time since going on the disabled list Aug. 16 with a left forearm fracture. Choo hopes to play in next weekends regular season-ending series against Tampa Bay, which could be his last chance to show the Rangers hes ready to be on their playoff roster.Athletics: Utilityman Arismendy Alcantara will miss the rest of the season with a thumb sprain. Alcantara suffered the injury sliding into second base in the ninth inning of Wednesdays game against the Houston Astros.UP NEXTRangers starter Yu Darvish (5-5, 3.81) tries to get back on track against Raul Alcantara (1-1, 5.65) on Saturday. Darvish has a 7.47 ERA in his past three starts, including when he allowed seven runs over five innings last time out against the As. Wholesale Hurricanes Jerseys . JOHNS, N. Stitched Hurricanes Jerseys .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/ . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. Hurricanes Jerseys 2020 . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. Carolina Hurricanes Store . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. Glasgow head coach Gregor Townsend claims the whole of Scottish rugby should take inspiration from their back-to-back victories over French champions Racing 92.Warriors followed up last weekends Paris triumph with a 23-7 European Champions Cup victory over last years runners-up at Scotstoun.Glasgow were 60 seconds away from getting a clean sheet before Xavier Chauveau crossed but Warriors moved top of Pool A in some style, although Munster have two games in hand, starting with Saturdays fixture against Leicester.Townsend said: Its a huge achievement, says a lot about our players and their ability, and not just in attack and defence, the set-piece and the intelligence of their decisions.Its a great statement to say to our players, to say to people in Scottish rugby, that we can take on the best and beat them.We just have to take that on in the next two games. We looked at four or five wins as a necessity to get out the group. We have got three now, we have two games to go, which will be very tough.Glasgow were utterly dominant in the first hhalf, crossing through Josh Strauss and Fraser Brown inside 13 minutes and went 23-0 up inside 47 minutes when scrum-half Ali Price grabbed his third try in three matches.ddddddddddddut they were pushed back for the last half hour and never really threatened to claim a bonus point.We set ourselves really high standards and in the first 50 minutes we achieved them, said Townsend, who revealed man-of-the-match Finn Russell was a late injury doubt after suffering a calf strain in the warm-up.The last half hour we didnt play as well. We know we will have to play 80-minutes rugby when Munster come calling. They are playing outstanding rugby.Before the game, I said it was going to go right down to the wire and didnt think it would be a bonus-point game given how good their defence has been in the last few seasons. So to even be talking about it seems bizarre but we will look at how we can improve that last 30 minutes. ' ' '