MLB: Rangers take the AL West lead on their own

Twelve pitches, then six innings from the bullpen

Cal Quantrill threw 12 pitches on Saturday night in Arlington, retired George Springer to open the second, and walked off with right lat tightness. Five relievers covered everything after that. Toronto managed six hits against them. Texas won 6-2 and moved into sole possession of the American League West lead for the first time since late August.

The Rangers sit at 78-77, a winning record for the first time since before play on 11 August, and half a game clear of Houston at 77-78. The Astros hold the tiebreaker, so the cushion is thinner than the standings suggest. Quantrill, the 31-year-old son of former Toronto All-Star Paul Quantrill, showed no obvious sign of pain before departing. He had also left his 13 September start in Arizona early, after 70 pitches, with a sore back.

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Montgomery picks up the pieces

Jordan Montgomery followed him and threw 3 2/3 hitless innings for the win, his first since 14 August 2024. He returned from Tommy John surgery on 9 August this year. Nathan Eovaldi, Robert Garcia, Chase Silseth and Jacob Latz each worked an inning behind him.

Josh Jung opened the scoring with a solo home run off Jose Soriano in the first. Texas added two more in the second without a base hit, stringing together a walk, a hit batter, an infield throwing error and a wild pitch. Three more followed in the sixth, the damage done by a Wyatt Langford double that landed between left fielder Myles Straw and the wall after Straw pulled up. Soriano fell to 12-8, charged with six runs, five of them earned, and got three batters into the sixth before leaving.

Davis Schneider hit a pinch-homer for the Blue Jays. That was most of their evening.

Toronto running out of September

The reigning American League champions dropped to 76-79 and have lost eight of 12. They trail the Chicago White Sox by three games for the last wild card in the AL, with the schedule closing fast.

Jacob deGrom starts Sunday for Texas. He carries an 11-9 record and a 3.79 ERA, is 8-2 at home, and opponents hit .183 against him there. Toronto answers with a bullpen game.

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