The Oakland A's have won five straight games since being swept by the Los Angeles Angels but the Texas Rangers are still clinging on to a three-game lead following Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Cleveland Indians.
The Rangers (84-57) have the luxury of playing two more games against the Cleveland Indians, who are tied with the Minnesota Twins for worst record in the American League at 59-83. From there, Texas gets to continue to build their resume with weekend series against the Seattle Mariners (68-74) at home.
The Athletics (81-60), on the other hand, still have two more road games against the Angels (77-65) before heading back home for a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles are currently in a tie for one of the wild card spots so Oakland is sure to be motivated.
It's important that the Rangers don't slip up against mediocre competition with the A's schedule being so difficult. This race is so tight that anything less than two home series sweeps at this point might be costly.
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