ARLINGTON, Texas — All of those rookie fill-ins are keeping the injury-plagued Texas Rangers in playoff contention.
Center fielder Michael Helman hit a grand slam while driving in all of their runs against baseball’s best team and Jacob Latz, while not a rookie but still a youngster, threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers that got Texas as close as it has been to the AL West lead in more than three months.
“These kids have done a great job,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Just doing a nice job of doing something every game they’re playing, it seems like, to help us win a ball game.”
The series opener against the Brewers (89-56), who have the best record in the majors and could in this series become the first team to officially clinch a playoff spot, came after Texas won two of three over AL West-leading Houston with other rookies impacting those wins.
Texas has won 12 of its last 16 games to get within 3 1/2 games of Houston for the first time since May 30. The Rangers have 17 games remaining, including three in Houston, and are 1 1/2 games behind division foe Seattle and a game ahead of Cleveland for the American League’s final wild card.
Dustin Harris, just called back that day when Adolis García went on the injured list, hit a game-ending double in the 12th inning. That drove in Cody Freeman, another rookie, for a 4-3 win in the opener against the Astros.
That series ended with a 4-2 win when Freeman hit a two-out single in the sixth, then scored from first on Josh Jung’s double to break a 1-all tie before Jake Burger’s homer.
Texas is 11-5 in the games Freeman has started — at second base, third base, right field and designated hitter.
The Rangers opened last week with a 7-5 win at Arizona when rookie Alejandro Osuna had a two-run single in the 10th inning.
“It’s awesome,” Helman said. “Obviously it’s unfortunate with all the guys that we’ve lost. But some of us younger guys just have to come in here and try and play a role on this team, and try and be in situations to help us win ballgames.”
Helman hit the first grand slam of this season for the Rangers. It was the first time in his 30 big league games that he batted with the bases loaded.
This playoff push comes with the Rangers missing their half-billion dollar middle infield of two-time World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager (appendectomy) and second baseman Marcus Semien (broken bone-sprained ligament in left foot). Slugging right fielder Garcia (right quad strain) could potentially return, while outfielders Evan Carter (season-ending right wrist fracture) and Sam Haggerty (left ankle) also are out.
The 29-year-old Latz (2-0), who now has started seven of the 79 games he has pitched in parts of four seasons for the Rangers, has made three starts in a row in what had been the rotation spot of Nathan Eovaldi (11-3, career-best 1.73 ERA) before a right rotator cuff strain put him on the IL.
Texas also has lost pitchers Cody Bradford, Tyler Mahle and Jon Gray to injuries, and deadline addition lefty reliever Danny Coulombe is on the IL with shoulder fatigue.
Latz, a lefty, struck out four, walked one and allowed only three singles against the Brewers.
“What a job he did,” Bochy said.
“Yeah, it’s just a reminder, it doesn’t matter when you’re pitching or what role you’re in, it’s just going out there and executing the pitch,” Latz said. “Being in the bullpen, I’ve said it a a few times, it’s helped me just take each pitch, each batter the same.”
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