Rangers 7, Angels 6
BALTIMORE — On an afternoon in which the Baltimore Orioles repeatedly failed to produce in the clutch, they kept on trying until they got it right.
Welington Castillo hit two home runs, including a game-tying shot in the ninth inning, and Mark Trumbo won it in the 12th with an RBI single as Baltimore rallied past the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Sunday.
The Orioles never led until Trumbo hit a liner into the left-field corner off Danny Barnes (2-6) to score Jonathan Schoop in the 12th.
Prior to Trumbo’s hit, Baltimore was 0 for 16 with runners in scoring position.
“I don’t think anyone really noticed,” Trumbo said. “We don’t dissect it like that. You just do what you can. When you get the opportunity, then you want to come through.”
The victory pulled the Orioles within three games of the New York Yankees for the top AL wild-card spot, pending New York’s game against Boston on Sunday night. Baltimore opens a three-game series against the visiting Yankees today.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Elvis Andrus hit two of the four Texas home runs and the Rangers held on beat the Los Angeles Angels in the rubber game of a series with wild-card implications for both team.
The Rangers (68-68) went ahead to stay when Robinson Chirinos and Delino DeShields hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning. No. 9 hitter Chirinos’ two-run homer tied the game at 4 before DeShields went deep.
With four weeks left in the regular season, Texas was within three games of Minnesota for the AL’s second wild-card spot. The Angels (70-67) are 1 1/2 games back of that playoff spot.
White Sox 6, Rays 2
CHICAGO — While the Chicago White Sox are going nowhere this year, Lucas Giolito is providing a bit of hope for their rebuilding project.
Giolito struck out 10 in seven sharp innings, Jose Abreu homered in his return to the lineup and the White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays.
Indians 11, Tigers 1
DETROIT — Jose Ramirez isn’t finished setting records for extra-base hits.
In June, the Cleveland infielder became the first player in modern history to get 14 of them — 10 doubles, a triple and three homers — in a seven-game span.
Sunday, he packed all his damage into one game.
Ramirez tied a major league mark with five extra-base hits, including a pair of home
runs that deflected off Detroit outfielders, and the Indians routed the Tigers for their 11th straight victory.
In between Ramirez’s big bopping, he went through an 0-for-17 slump while hitting just .235 in August.
Royals 5, Twins 4.
MINNEAPOLIS — Given a second chance after a check swing call went his way on a two-strike pitch, Lorenzo Cain gave the Kansas City Royals’ playoff hopes a lift.
Cain hit a go-ahead, two-run triple in the seventh inning Sunday in a win over the Minnesota Twins.
Kansas City trailed 4-3 and had two on with two outs when Cain fouled off his first four pitches from rookie reliever Alan Busenitz (1-1). Cain took a fastball up, then checked his swing on an outside curveball in the dirt.
First base umpire Mike Muchlinski ruled no swing.
Mariners 10, Athletics 2
SEATTLE — Robinson Cano homered and drove in four runs, Andrew Albers took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Oakland Athletics to complete a three-game sweep.
Interleague Astros 8, Mets 6
HOUSTON — The Houston Astros got another win on Sunday thanks to a new face and the return of a familiar one after a long absence.
Cameron Maybin hit a three-run homer, Carlos Correa drove in a run in his return from the disabled list and the Astros swept the New York Mets with a victory.