Texas rode a road-sweep to knock the losing-streak stigma off a decimated roster, moving four games over .500 and to a sniff of the wild-card. Even without Seager, Semien, and Eovaldi, the offense has carried the heavier load, hitting .402 with runners in scoring position and peppering 20 homers in nine games. The question now: can this keep up as injuries linger and the September grind arrives?

Bochy trimmed swings, emphasizing short at-bats and team at-bats, and the lineup found surprising pop from names not expected to carry it. Jung and García have juiced the lineup, Pederson added power, and Burger could soon return to deepen the mix. The chase for the West and a postseason berth suddenly feels plausible.

DeGrom steps in for the injured Eovaldi and fires five scoreless innings to fuel a 9-5 win over Oakland, sealing a sweep and an eight-win stretch. Texas leans on depth, with Leiter and Kelly joining deGrom in a reshaped rotation as they chase a postseason berth.

Texas must manage deGrom’s workload to stay fresh for October, while the club hopes its Cy Young-winning absences don’t derail their surge. The Rangers sit atop a strong late-season run and trust their pitching staff to carry the load down the stretch.

Texas rode a nine-run outburst to complete the sweep of Oakland, riding a five-game winning streak into September and closing to within striking distance of a Wild Card. Jacob deGrom was efficient through five scoreless frames before the Rangers eased him off the mound, while Joc Pederson launched a two-run shot and Josh Jung joined the power party with a homer and a double. The lineup cluttered the bases with nine hits and seven walks, and the bullpen weathered a late scare to seal it.

Caleb Boushley faltered late, allowing a spike in runs as the A’s clawed back, but Texas still managed to hold on. Up next, Texas heads to Arizona to open September against the Diamondbacks, with Patrick Corbin facing Ryne Nelson in a high-leverage series opener. For fantasy managers, Pederson and Jung remain hot hands, while deGrom’s innings pace will influence stacking and bullpen usage as the playoff push intensifies.

Texas started fast, riding Joc Pederson’s 2-run blast and Josh Jung’s solo shot to seize an early lead as Jacob deGrom spun five shutout innings for the Rangers. Oakland’s offense finally woke in the eighth, stringing together five runs, highlighted by Jacob Wilson’s two-run bloop double, Tyler Soderström’s RBI double, and Carlos Cortes’s later tally, but the rally fell short in a 9-6 loss and a series sweep.

The A’s slugfest effort wasn’t enough to slow Texas’s top pitching and bullpen, and the club now heads to St. Louis with rookie Luis Morales making the opener while the Cardinals counter with Sonny Gray. Texas, meanwhile, looks to carry momentum into the next slate after a strong team effort and deGrom’s vintage performance anchored the win.

Nolan McLean sparked the Mets in late August, arriving from Syracuse and immediately flinging impact starts. Eight shutout innings vs Philadelphia, a 3-0 record, and a 0.89 ERA since his arrival have the club dreaming of an October surge. New York’s playoff chase in the NL East is back in play, with McLean’s emergence reshaping rotations and mood. The test is sustaining the run through September and beyond, turning a rollercoaster summer into a possible late-season chapter.

Across town, the Yankees’ power display and the broader chase for division titles provide contrast, but it’s McLean’s meteoric rise that changes Mets narratives. If health holds, the kid could redefine the rotation blueprint and offer a blueprint for high-upside pitcher add-drops in fantasy leagues as October looms.