Texas Rangers sprint to playoff contention with a 6-3 win over Milwaukee to complete the series sweep, buoyed by Jake Burger’s two-homer eruption. Burger’s power surge, paired with Helman’s clutch plays, fuels Texas’ late-season push and extends a season-best run above .500. The win tightens the wild-card landscape as the Rangers sit one game behind Seattle for the final third AL Wild Card berth and two behind Houston in the division.

Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta was tagged for five runs across five innings, while Merrill Kelly steadied the ship after the opener, and Pederson’s hustle-created runs in the third helped Texas pull away. The Rangers’ recent string of wins over top teams underscores their growing momentum as the regular season winds down.

Meanwhile, the Brewers see the setback while Texas maintains momentum in a tight playoff race, with key performers like Burger, Helman, Pederson, and deGrom guiding Texas toward a potential postseason berth.

The Rangers snapped a string of near-misses with a dramatic 6-3 win over Kansas City, riding a late, two-out rally that featured a rare No. 4 start for Higashioka and a bullpen surge. Texas was shorthanded – Bochy away, a spot start needed – yet the lineup clawed back from deficits, setting up Higashioka’s bases-loaded double to clear the bases in the ninth. Milner closed the door after a grueling sixth through eighth, while interim manager Luis Ureta logged another win in his budding run atop the dugout. Langford pounced early with a leadoff homer, underscoring his growing impact, though his aggressiveness on the bases provided a teachable moment. Texas’ playoff odds had tumbled to a season-low 7.9% earlier, but this night carved out a reminder: even a beleaguered team can flip a game with collective resilience, timely power, and bullpen grit.

The game stretched into a test of bullpen depth, with Caleb Boushley giving the Rangers a chance to rally early and Jake Latz delivering 3 1/3 strong innings in relief. Langford’s speed and Higashioka’s power paired with a patient approach from Seager and Semien to bookend the late rally. Kansas City’s Vinny Pasquantino fueled early offense with a three-run blast that pushed Texas into a corner, but the Rangers factory began clicking in the late innings, turning a rough night into one of the season’s most unlikely wins. A crucial defensive miscue by Langford earlier in the game briefly hampered Texas, but the club steadied, leaned on the lefty-on-lefty matchup plan, and finished strong to keep their faint postseason hopes alive for another night.

Nathan Eovaldi anchored Texas with the majors’ lowest ERA among qualifiers, seven solid innings as the Rangers beat Toronto 10-4 in the Rogers Centre. He scattered five hits while keeping the Blue Jays’ bats quiet, even as Alejandro Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. joined the homer parade for Toronto. José Berríos endured a rough sightline, charged with six runs on 10 hits in just 4 1/3 innings, extending a recent slide. George Springer returned with a 434-foot two-run blast in the eighth as Toronto mounted late offense, but the night belonged to Eovaldi and Texas.

Toronto’s offense finally produced a few bright spots—Kirk’s ninth homer and Guerrero Jr.’s team-leading 21st—yet Berríos couldn’t finish off hitters, prompting talk of Shane Bieber joining the Jays’ rotation and Paul Skenes looming in Pittsburgh. Springer’s return from concussion provided a spark, and Toronto now eyes a matchup with Skenes before a Miami trip. The Jays’ mounting innings concerns, combined with Eovaldi’s elite form, set the tone for a week of rotation tinkering and lineup adjustments in fantasy rosters.

From a fantasy lens, Eovaldi’s trendline stands out as a rare stabilizer in Texas’ rotation, while Berríos’ recent struggles temper Jays interest in immediate confidence. Bieber’s arrival could shift Toronto’s ceiling, and Skenes’ big-league debut chatter adds a dynamic element to opponents’ plans. Springer and Guerrero Jr. remain must-starts when healthy, with Springer’s power returning just in time for a favorable upcoming slate.