Cal Quantrill's shutout gem lifts Rangers closer to AL wild card

Cal Quantrill pitched seven scoreless innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-0 in the opener of a four-game series in Arlington. Corey Seager hit a two-run homer and Wyatt Langford had a key double as Texas built a 1-0 lead in the fourth before adding runs in the fifth and eighth. The shutout extended Texas’ momentum as it moved within a half-game of the AL wild-card race while continuing to keep pressure on Cleveland for the final spot. Tampa Bay managed only two singles, matching a season low in hits as the Rays’ strong AL East lead narrowed to three games over the idle New York Yankees. The Rangers’ pitching dominance produced Texas’ 13th shutout of the season, while Shane McClanahan was unable to get through six innings for the Rays. Quantrill’s performance was also the latest in a late-summer run that has earned him recent player-of-the-month recognition in Texas.