Rangers 4, Angels 3
Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer and the visiting Texas Rangers ended the wild-card hopes of the Los Angeles Angels with a 4-3 victory on Monday.
Los Angeles is three games behind the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays with just two remaining. Texas stayed one game ahead of the Detroit Tigers for the second-best record in the American League and home-field advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
Peter Bourjos delivered a run-scoring single with two outs in the ninth before Neftali Feliz struck out Howie Kendrick for his 31st save.
Beltre’s blast in the fourth off Dan Haren (16-19) gave Texas a 3-0 lead. The homer was Beltre’s 11th in his last 14 games as the Rangers won their fourth straight and 12th in 14 contests.
The Angels scored twice in the sixth on Mike Trout’s single and Bobby Abreu’s bases-loaded walk.
Texas added an insurance run on an eighth-inning single by Michael Young, who is tied for second with Boston's Adrian Gonzalez at .338 behind league batting leader Miguel Cabrera's .343. Elvis Andrus had four of the Rangers’ 10 hits.
Mark Hamburger (1-0) allowed one run and two hits over 3 2/3 innings of relief for his first major-league victory.
C.J. Wilson tuned up for Friday’s postseason start by pitching two shutout innings. Wilson threw 38 pitches.
Haren allowed four runs (three earned) and nine hits in eight innings. He struck out eight and walked one.