Darvish carries Texas playoff bid into last game

Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish will carry the playoff hopes of the Texas Rangers into Sunday's final game of the six-month Major League Baseball season after a Texas triumph on Saturday. The Rangers downed the visiting Los Angeles Angels 7-4 while Tampa Bay lost 7-2 at Toronto, leaving Texas and Tampa Bay at 90-71 with one game to play as they battle with the Cleveland Indians (90-70) for the last two American League playoff berths. Cleveland's game Saturday at Minnesota was delayed by rain, but even a victory would not clinch a playoff spot for the Indians. Darvish, the major league season strikeouts leader with 269 over 204 innings, has won all three of his starts against the Angels with a 3.00 career earned-run average against them. The 27-year-old right-hander, 13-9 this season, is 7-6 at home with a 2.66 earned-run average in 2013. The Rangers are 14-4 against the Angels this year, including seven home wins in a row over them. Alex Rios, A.J. Pierzynski and Craig Gentry each drove in a run for Texas, which has won six games in a row to stay in the playoff chase, and the Rangers were helped by five errors from the Angels, their most in a game since 2006. Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati 8-3 on Saturday to ensure their rematch on Tuesday in the National League playoff wildcard game will be in Pittsburgh, the first playoff game in the city in 21 years. Source: AFP