With their 12-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sept. 10, the Houston Astros secured their largest lead in the American League West at 2 1/2 games and appeared well-positioned to claim their sixth division title in the past seven seasons.

With their 7-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Friday in the opener of their final home series of the season, the Astros (85-69) dropped out of first place and into the third AL wild-card spot with just eight games remaining. They have lost seven of 10 games since reaching their high-water mark with that victory over the Padres, with five of those defeats coming against the only two teams in the majors with 100 losses this season: the Royals (52-102) and Oakland Athletics.

While their collapse isn’t complete, it remains stunning. The Texas Rangers reclaimed first place in the AL West with their 8-5 home victory on Friday over the Seattle Mariners, who remain a half-game behind the Astros for the final postseason slot in the AL. The Astros will open a crucial three-game series in Seattle on Monday, with the Mariners holding the postseason tiebreaker.

But before they depart on their final road trip, the Astros must salvage what appeared to be an easy part of their schedule at the most opportune time. Houston must win this series with the Royals simply to remain afloat, a position no one could have envisioned a dozen days ago.

“You can’t think about it, you’ve just got to come out (Saturday) and do it,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “You can’t cry over spilled milk, you can’t bring it back. It’s frustrating, it’s very frustrating.

“Guys are a little frustrated but we’re still in a good position. We’ll come back and get them (Saturday).”

Rookie right-hander J.P. France (11-5, 3.84 ERA) has the starting assignment for Houston on Saturday, his second career start against Kansas City. He did not factor into the decision of his most recent start after allowing five runs on five hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings in the Astros’ 10-8 loss to the Royals on Sept. 16. France is 2-0 with a 5.57 ERA in his past four starts. Houston is 3-1 in those games.

Right-hander Jordan Lyles (4-17, 6.43) is expected to start for the Royals on Saturday. He was the pitcher of record in a 7-1 loss to the Astros on Sunday after allowing four runs on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts over six innings. Lyles has completed eight innings an AL-high five times this season.

Lyles is 2-3 with a 4.24 ERA over nine career appearances (seven starts) against the Astros, who selected Lyles 38th overall in the 2008 draft. He was 14-29 with a 5.35 ERA over 72 career appearances (65 starts) with Houston before being traded to the Colorado Rockies on Dec. 3, 2013.

Before left-handed hitters Nick Pratto and Kyle Isbel fueled a three-run sixth inning off Astros left-hander Framber Valdez with quality at-bats from the bottom of the order, Maikel Garcia keyed a four-run first by hustling down the line following his strikeout and a passed ball on Astros catcher Martin Maldonado.

Garcia provided evidence that the Royals haven’t mailed anything in.

“If you’re given an opportunity for an extra out you’ve got to take advantage of it, especially against a good team,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I don’t expect anything less.”

–Field Level Media

The Texas Rangers delivered the opening salvo of their pivotal series with the Seattle Mariners to move back into first place in the American League West.

Now the trick for Texas is staying in the top spot when the Rangers and Mariners square off Saturday night in the middle contest of the three-game set at Arlington, Texas.

Texas (85-68) recorded an 8-5 victory Friday that allowed it to move past the Houston Astros (85-69) into first in the division. Seattle (84-69) is one game back.

Friday’s triumph came in the first of seven meetings over the season’s final 10 games between the Rangers and Mariners. Texas improved to 6-1 against Seattle this season.

Winning the contest was more important than moving into first place in the eyes of Rangers manager Bruce Bochy.

“Where you’re at in the standings doesn’t matter right now,” Bochy said. “There’s nine games left. We know how tight it is. We’re just going out there trying to do the best we can to win a ballgame.”

Texas built an 8-0 lead before the Mariners rallied. Seattle had the potential go-ahead run at the plate when Ty France bounced out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Mariners manager Scott Servais said he was taking solace in the comeback attempt. He also expected the series to include some high-scoring affairs.

“The games are going to go back-and-forth, and you’re never out of the game,” Servais said. “I give our guys credit — they battled back into the game after a little bit of a rocky start.”

Seattle also is competing for one of the AL’s three wild-card spots. The Mariners are on the outside of the race as they trail the second-place Toronto Blue Jays by 1 1/2 games and the Astros by a half-game.

Cal Raleigh hit a three-run shot for Seattle on Friday. He became the first catcher in Mariners’ history to hit 30 homers in a season.

For the Rangers, Corey Seager belted his 32nd homer and rookie Evan Carter lined a three-run blast. Carter has three homers in 14 games since being recalled.

Carter’s September contributions come at a time in which the Rangers recently got All-Stars Adolis Garcia (knee) and Josh Jung (thumb) back from injuries.

“It’s a scary offense when everybody is clicking on all cylinders,” Carter said. “I’m excited to be a part of that and hopefully we can keep it rolling.”

Right-hander Logan Gilbert (13-6, 3.77 ERA) will start for Seattle on Saturday and aim to bounce back from his first loss since June 28.

Gilbert gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings while losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. It was the second straight start in which he allowed two homers.

Gilbert went 8-0 in a 13-start stretch before the setback against the Dodgers.

The 26-year-old struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings against Texas on May 8 but took the loss despite allowing just two runs and three hits. Gilbert is 2-1 with a 2.83 ERA in eight career starts against the Rangers.

Seager is 5-for-11 and Nathaniel Lowe is 9-for-21 against Gilbert, while Marcus Semien is just 2-for-17.

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (9-11, 3.38) will be on the mound for Texas. He is 3-2 with a 3.29 ERA in nine starts for the Rangers since being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Montgomery lost his lone career outing against Seattle in July 2021 when he gave up three runs and four hits over 6 2/3 innings. He was a member of the New York Yankees at the time.

Dylan Moore (1-for-2) has homered off Montgomery, who regularly shuts down Teoscar Hernandez (1-for-16).

–Field Level Media

The Baltimore Orioles will look to avert matching a season-high, four-game losing streak on Saturday evening when they continue their series against the host Cleveland Guardians.

The Orioles (95-59) dropped a 2-1 decision to the Houston Astros on Wednesday and followed that by losing the first two contests of this four-game series. Friday’s 9-8 setback was crushing for Baltimore, which was unable to take advantage of the momentum it gained after it scored twice in the top of the ninth inning.

“That’s a tough loss. We didn’t pitch well tonight,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We got beat by so many advantage-count mistakes; that can’t be (done).”

Baltimore previously lost four in a row from June 27-July 1 and again on Sept. 12-15.

The Orioles’ current skid has prevented the club from gaining breathing room in the American League East. They lead the second-place Tampa Bay Rays by 1 1/2 games.

Anthony Santander collected three hits and three RBIs for Baltimore on Friday. He is a robust 10-for-21 with six extra-base hits (four doubles, one triple, one homer) and nine RBIs in five games against Cleveland this season.

Gunnar Henderson is 22-for-68 with four homers and 11 RBIs in his past 15 games.

Baltimore left-hander John Means (0-1, 3.60 ERA) will make his third start of the season on Saturday.

Means, 30, has turned in a pair of five-inning efforts in his return from undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2022. He rebounded from taking a loss vs. the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 12 to settle for a no-decision six days later despite allowing one run on four hits against the Houston Astros.

“I think it was kind of similar to the last outing,” Means said, per MASN. “I had the changeup working; the breaking ball still isn’t really where I want it, but grinded through it.”

Means owns a 1-2 record with a 4.22 ERA in three career appearances (all starts) against Cleveland.

Friday’s late rally allowed the Guardians (74-81) to extend their home winning streak to a season-high six games. They officially were eliminated from postseason contention later in the night after the Minnesota Twins posted an 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

“That’s one thing that I’ve always admired about these guys: They will play — and there’s something to be said for that,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said on the heels of David Fry’s two-run, walkoff double in the ninth inning. “It’s not always perfect and I wish our record was better. I appreciate that they keep playing.”

The Guardians will turn to right-hander Cal Quantrill (3-6, 5.26) on Saturday.

Quantrill, 28, has pitched well since returning from a two-month absence due to inflammation in his pitching shoulder. He is 1-0 with a 1.90 ERA in four starts this month.

Quantrill, however, was blitzed for eight runs on as many hits in 4 1/3 innings in an 8-5 setback in Baltimore on May 30. He is 1-2 with an 8.82 ERA in five career appearances (four starts) vs. the Orioles.

Cleveland’s Andres Gimenez is riding a six-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 17 of his past 20 games played.

–Field Level Media

The Pittsburgh Pirates will look to continue their role of spoiler on Saturday evening when they visit the Cincinnati Reds in the second contest of a three-game series.

The Pirates (73-81) hit four solo homers on Friday in a 7-5 victory over the Reds (79-76) in the series opener.

The Reds will send rookie right-hander Connor Phillips (1-0, 5.74 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. The Reds have won all three of the 22-year-old Phillips’ previous starts.

Last Monday, Phillips held the Minnesota Twins to two runs and three hits over seven innings in a 7-3 win.

The Pirates on Saturday will counter with lefty Bailey Falter (2-9, 4.58), who will make his seventh start since coming to Pittsburgh in a trade-deadline deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Falter lasted just an inning on Tuesday in the 14-1 loss to the Cubs in Chicago, allowing two runs, walking two and striking out one.

The Pirates have won nine of their last 13 on the road and 15 of 23 overall. They’ve won series against Milwaukee and the Chicago Cubs in that stretch.

And it was after Thursday’s 8-6 win against the Cubs that Chicago manager David Ross called Pittsburgh’s roster “not high caliber.”

“We can fight,” said Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez, who did not hear those comments. “We don’t have the best team in the league, but we still have the talent to fight for the playoffs.”

Rodriguez was one of the four Pirates to unload with a solo homer in Friday’s win in Cincinnati, mashing a tape-measure shot to the power stacks in right field.

The Pirates will be without one of their best setup men the rest of the season, as right-hander Colin Holderman landed on the 15-day injured list with a right thumb sprain.

The Reds are in desperate straits, entering Saturday with a three-game losing streak and falling 1 1/2 games behind the Cubs for the third and final wild-card spot in the National League. The Reds had leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 5-4 before succumbing to the Pirates on Friday.

Cincinnati had runners on first and second base to begin in the ninth before Christian Encarnacion-Strand grounded into a double play. Another rookie, Noelvi Marte, struck out to end the game against Pirates closer David Bednar.

“I think we have to hold on, hold our heads up,” said rookie Andrew Abbott, who started Friday’s game. “We’re playing really good baseball. A few things didn’t go our way with a few hits and whatever else. That’s just baseball, really.”

TJ Friedl homered, went 2-for-2 and had two RBIs and three walks in Friday’s loss.

“We had every opportunity. We hit them, they hit back, and it was one of those games that is back and forth,” Friedl said of Friday’s game. “This doesn’t change our mentality at all. There’s still seven games left. So we’re going to play each game to the fullest, just like (Friday).”

The Reds soon could get a boost to their lineup. Star rookie infielder Matt McLain (right oblique) is expected to go on rehab on Saturday and Sunday and possibly be available for Tuesday’s opener to a two-game series in Cleveland.

–Field Level Media

The visiting Chicago White Sox will attempt to end their three-game losing streak on Saturday when they face the Boston Red Sox in the second game of a three-game series.

Boston scored twice in the eighth inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit and post a 3-2 victory on Friday night. The Red Sox (76-78) entered the series with six losses in their past seven games.

“It’s good to see that grit and grind even though we’re eliminated (from playoff contention),” said Boston reliever Chris Martin, who earned the save Friday night. “These games right here carry over into next season, so we need to keep trying to win right now.”

The White Sox (58-96) have lost 10 of their past 13 games and 15 of their past 20.

Dylan Cease (7-8, 4.85 ERA) is scheduled to start for Chicago on Saturday. The right-hander, who went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA last season, took the loss in his latest outing, a 4-0 setback against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He pitched six innings and gave up three runs on four hits.

Cease is set to make his 96th start since the beginning of the 2021 season.

“When you got a guy that doesn’t miss a start for four years, that’s pretty special,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “That doesn’t happen often. Very few guys out there who will do that. He’s extremely durable.

“We tend to always want more (from Cease) because he’s extremely talented, but what he does is pretty good. That’s a big part of it. He’s a relentless worker and takes pride in his craft. He’s going to continue to do what he’s got to do to be back where he was last year.”

Cease is 0-1 with a 9.98 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox but has 23 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings in those outings.

Nick Pivetta, another right-hander, is Boston’s scheduled starter. Pivetta (9-9, 4.48 ERA) spent much of the season in the bullpen and is 0-2 with a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings since he rejoined the rotation earlier this month. He allowed two runs on four hits and struck out six in 6 1/3 innings during Boston’s 3-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Pivetta has made seven career appearances against the White Sox (four starts) and is 1-0 with a 2.22 ERA. He retired the only batter he faced in his one appearance vs. Chicago this year, on June 23.

After shutting down rookie reliever Gregory Santos (right elbow inflammation) for the remainder of the season on Wednesday, the White Sox lost Michael Kopech for the year two days later.

The team announced that Kopech, a 27-year-old right-hander, had a cyst surgically removed from his right knee Friday morning. It’s the same knee Kopech had surgically repaired a year earlier.

Kopech ends the year 5-12 with a 5.43 ERA in 30 games (27 starts). He lost his rotation spot in September after a five-start stretch in which he never lasted five innings in an outing while compiling a 9.50 ERA.

“(The knee ailment) definitely affected him. To what extent, not real sure,” Grifol said. “Only he knows that. It had been bothering him the whole year.”

–Field Level Media

Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff is looking for an encore.

On Sept. 11, Woodruff pitched the first shutout of his career, blanking the Miami Marlins on six hits and a walk while striking out seven in Milwaukee.

On Saturday, Woodruff will face the Marlins again — this time in Miami.

“Opportunities like this don’t come around much,” Woodruff said of the shutout.

The 30-year-old Mississippi native has spent his entire career with the Brewers. He was their 11th-round pick out of Mississippi State in 2014, made his major league debut in 2017 and became an All-Star in 2019 and 2021.

Woodruff has been outstanding this season — 5-1 with a 1.89 ERA. The only problem has been that a shoulder injury kept him for four months, limiting him to just 10 starts so far.

Over his past five starts, Woodruff is 3-0 with a 1.06 ERA. In three career starts against the Marlins, he is 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA.

The Brewers (88-66), who routed the Marlins 16-1 in the series opener on Friday, are closing in on their third NL Central title in the past six years. Their magic number for the division is one, and they clinched a playoff berth on Friday.

Milwaukee, which has won four games in a row, is headed to the postseason for the fifth time in six years.

Meanwhile, Miami (79-75) fell one game behind the Chicago Cubs (80-74) in the race for the final NL wild-card playoff berth. The Marlins were out of the game early, thanks to the Brewers’ 12-run second inning.

“Pitching sets the tone, and when you walk five of the first 10 hitters …” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said of his team’s poor performance on Friday. “A little sloppy defense at times, but, for the most part, (the Brewers) hit the ball hard. We couldn’t make an out there for a while — tough game, tough second inning.”

The Brewers made themselves at home in Miami on Friday, not surprising considering some of their personnel have strong Miami ties. Heading that list is manager Craig Counsell, who won a World Series title in 1997 as a Marlins player.

Left fielder Christian Yelich, who started his career with the Marlins, won an NL MVP award for Miami in 2018. Bothered by a back injury that has kept him sidelined for most of the past two weeks, Yelich returned to the lineup on Friday and went 3-for-4 with two homers and five RBIs.

Catcher Victor Caratini, who played at Miami Dade College, belted a three-run homer to lead the Brewers past the St. Louis Cardinals 6-0 on Thursday. And infielder/outfielder Brian Anderson, who spent the first six years of his career with the Marlins, has nine homers this year in his debut season with the Brewers.

As for the Marlins, they are reeling with three losses in their past four games. They also have lost four of five matchups with the Brewers over the past two weeks.

The Marlins hope to change their fortunes on Saturday behind left-hander Jesus Luzardo (10-9, 3.68 ERA).

Luzardo, a native of Peru who will turn 26 next week, has set career highs in wins, starts (30) and innings (166 1/3). Prior to this season, his career highs in those categories were six victories, 18 starts and 100 1/3 innings.

The Marlins are 18-12 this season when Luzardo starts, although he took a pounding on Sept. 11 when facing Woodruff and the Brewers. In that game, Luzardo allowed 10 hits, four walks and six runs in five innings. That stands as the only time in his career that he has faced Milwaukee.

–Field Level Media

With their offense continuing to slump and a slate of left-handed pitching on the horizon, the Tampa Bay Rays made the move Friday to promote star prospect Junior Caminero.

The top player within the organization, the 20-year-old Caminero — a right-handed-hitting shortstop and third baseman — likely will be in the lineup when the injury-riddled Rays (94-61) face the Toronto Blue Jays (86-68) on Saturday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.

In corresponding moves, Tampa Bay outfielder Luke Raley (cervical strain) was placed on the injured list while pitcher Trevor Kelley was designated for assignment.

After the Rays’ 6-2 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday, Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash announced that slugging second baseman Brandon Lowe had a fractured kneecap and would be out four to six weeks after fouling a ball off his right knee on Thursday.

With Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena also leaving the Friday game due to a sore groin, Caminero’s debut is imminent.

After starting the year with Class-A Bowling Green, Caminero was bumped up in late May, continued his spectacular play for Double-A Montgomery and reached the majors without playing for Triple-A Durham.

Over his two minor league stops and 117 games in 2023, Caminero dazzled at the plate, batting .324 with 31 home runs and 94 RBIs while posting a .384 on-base percentage and a .591 slugging percentage.

Caminero, who projects as a third baseman once he physically fills out, is rated the No. 6 overall prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.

With left-handers Hyun Jin Ryu and Yusei Kikuchi lined up to pitch for Toronto on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, Caminero will be thrown into the mix.

“There’s a lot of electricity there,” said 20-year-old shortstop Carson Williams, the Rays’ second-ranked prospect who played with Caminero this season. “He’s going to bring a lot of energy to the game, a lot of pop and a lot of celebrations.”

The Rays will give the ball to Zack Littell (3-6, 4.12 ERA) on Saturday, and he will look to improve on a solid September that has yielded nothing in his win column.

Over four starts this month, the right-hander is 0-2 despite a 3.33 ERA.

In his lone career appearance against Toronto, on May 22, Littell tossed one-third of an inning in relief and allowed two runs on three hits, including a homer by Daulton Varsho.

On Friday, Varsho went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in the Blue Jays’ series-opening victory.

The top three in manager John Schneider’s batting order — George Springer, Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — went a combined 3-for-13 with three runs, two RBIs, two walks and two stolen bases.

Schneider acknowledged discussions about moving the trio around in the lineup.

“There’s definitely been some mixing and matching over the course of the last couple of weeks,” the second-year skipper said. “We’ve talked about the options of trying to spread it out. … It’s tough (because) you don’t want to totally rely on those three guys at the top of the order doing something every night.

“But again, that’s why they’re your best players.”

Ryu (3-3 2.62 ERA) is 0-2 with a 3.05 ERA in four September starts. In five career starts against the Rays, the southpaw has no record but a sterling 2.55 ERA.

–Field Level Media

One pitcher looking to prove his major league debut was no fluke and another hoping for redemption after a shaky first outing might square off Saturday afternoon when the Oakland Athletics host the Detroit Tigers in the third game of a four-game series.

The teams have split the first two games of the set. The A’s (47-107) got home runs from Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers in an 8-2 triumph on Friday night after the Tigers (72-82) rode the pitching of Tarik Skubal to an 7-3 win in the opener.

The homer by Rooker, his 29th of the season, was the sixth in his past nine games as Oakland broke an eight-game losing streak on Friday. A’s manager Mark Kotsay knew it was gone when he saw his powerful outfielder take his eye off the flight of the ball almost immediately.

“This is Rooker when he gets hot and locked in,” Kotsay said. “It’s fun to watch him at this park when he thinks he’s hit one. He’ll look up at the board and check out exit velo to make sure it’s going to be a homer.

“He’s definitely swinging the bat well. It’s great to see him finishing on that type of note.”

Rooker also homered in Thursday’s loss, helping spoil the big-league debut of Brenan Hanifee, a 2016 draft choice who is finally getting his shot in the majors.

Hanifee pitched a 1-2-3 eighth in relief of Skubal before giving up three runs in the ninth, a frame that included Rooker’s two-run shot.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch nonetheless tipped his cap to the 25-year-old right-hander and noted he can’t wait to run him out there again, perhaps as early as Saturday, when the skipper has tentatively scheduled a bullpen day.

“First homer to an All-Star,” Hinch said. “That first inning, really good for him to get in there. Unfortunately he gave up a couple runs, but tonight will be a blur for him. He made it to the big leagues. He’ll always be able to call himself a big-leaguer.”

The same is true for A’s prospect Joe Boyle (0-0, 0.00 ERA), whose first major league outing was a rousing success on Sunday against the visiting San Diego Padres.

The Notre Dame product threw three shutout innings, retiring nine of the 12 batters he faced, striking out four while allowing a single and two walks. He was pulled after throwing 58 pitches.

The 24-year-old figures to get an opportunity to face 12-time All-Star Miguel Cabrera, who is making his final Oakland visit in a career that will formally end on Oct. 1 in Detroit.

Cabrera had one of the Tigers’ five hits on Friday, the 624th double of his career, which allowed him to tie Hank Aaron for 13th on the all-time list.

Recognizing the significance of the liner into the left-field corner, Cabrera’s teammates immediately called for the ball to be taken out of play.

Eight of those doubles have come at the Oakland Coliseum in 43 visits, and that doesn’t count the two he hit at home in Game 2 of the 2012 American League Division Series, a best-of-five set the Tigers won 3-2 en route to a spot in the World Series.

–Field Level Media