Texas Rangers (93-66) at Oakland Athletics (91-68) LHP Martin Perez (1-3, 5.03) vs. RHP Jarrod Parker (12-8, 3.44) Game #160 • Road #79 (43-35) • Mon., Oct. 1, 2012 • O.co Coliseum • 9:07 p.m. (CDT) • FSSW / 103.3 FM / 1540 AM PLAYOFF-BOUND: With a victory in Game 2 of Sunday’s split doubleheader, TWO GAMES IN ONE DAY: The Rangers lost Game 1 and won Game 2 of the Rangers clinched a 3rd consecutive postseason appearance for the 1st Sunday’s split doubleheader and are 0-2 with 5 splits in 7 lifetime day-night time in club history...it will be the team’s 6th overall postseason appearance twinbills...in conventional doubleheaders (not including split DH), Texas is 6-0- with A.L. West titles in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2010, and 2011...the Rangers join 4 in 10 twinbills since being swept by the Yankees on May 3, 2007, the last the Yankees, who also clinched a playoff spot on Sunday, as the only ML clubs time Texas lost twice on the same day. who are currently assured of being in the postseason in both the last 2 and last 3 seasons. CLOSE GAMES: Both games on Sunday were decided by a single run and 6 --Texas clinched its 2012 playoff spot in its 159th game, the 3rd latest in team of Texas’ last 9 contests have been one-run games (3-3)...the Rangers are 24- history and the latest since 1998 (160th game)...this is the 1st time that the 21 on-run contests in 2012, 15-8 at home....the Game 1 defeat yesterday Rangers have secured a playoff spot without clinching the A.L. West title...the marked just the 3rd time in 2012 that Texas has lost when leading after 8 dates and games for the 5 times Texas has clinched the A.L. West title: innings, the other April 11 vs. SEA and Sept. 13 vs. CLE, all blown saves by TEXAS RANGERS A.L. WEST CLINCH DATES Joe Nathan...it was the 12th time the opponent has won in its last at bat. 1996: Sept. 27, Game 161…lost to Angels at home but clinched with Seattle loss 1998: Sept. 25, Game 160…lost at Seattle but clinched with Angels loss IN SEPTEMBER: The Rangers were 15-13 (.536) in September, the 7th best 1999: Sept. 26, Game 155…won vs. Oakland at home winning percentage in the A.L. for the month...it was the team’s 3rd consecu- 2010: Sept. 25, Game 154…won at Oakland tive winning September, and the 15 wins matched its 2nd most in the month in 2011: Sept. 23, Game 157…won vs. Seattle at home, then clinched with Angels loss the last 13 seasons (19 in 2011; 15 in 2005 and 2010)..Texas ranked 9th in the -Sunday marked the 3rd time that the Rangers have clinched a playoff spot at league with a 4.39 team ERA and was 8th in A.L. with a .255 batting aver- home and the 3rd time they have clinched with a win. age...Texas tied for 3rd with 42 HR ADRIAN BELTRE homered 11 times in September, the 2nd most in the WINS AND LOSSES: The Rangers and A’s meet in the final 3 games of the majors to Tampa Bay’s B.J. Upton (12)...he had the 9th highest batting aver- regular season with this 3-game series...Texas was 3-4 on its final homestand age at .337 (33-98) and tied for 8th with 19 RBI...Beltre had 12 HR in with Oakland (2-2) and Los Angeles (1-2) following a split of Sunday day-night September 2011...the only other active player to hit 11+ HR multiple times in doubleheader...the club has lost 4 of 6 and 6 of 10, but have won 13 of 24, 15 September is Ryan Howard (11 HR in Sept. of both 2007 and 2008). of 27, and 26 of the last 43 games, the longer span beginning August 16…are 34-23 (.596) since the start of August…Texas is 41-32 since the All-Star break VS. OAKLAND: The Rangers and A’s are tied, 8-8 in the 2012 series with this and has won 60 of 101 beginning June 8…club is 78-62 since a 15-4 3-game series to play...Texas has dropped 4 of 7 beginnng July 1 but has won start…the Rangers’ .585 winning percentage is best in the A.L. and tied for 6 of last 10…the Rangers are 20-10 vs. the A’s beginning May 10, 2011 and 3rd-best in majors (see chart below)…also lead A.L. with 93 wins, the 4th- have captured 5 of the last 6 season’s series beginning 2006…Texas is 2-4 highest win total in team history (see below)…have had A.L.’s best record here in Oakland this season and has lost 5 of last 7 here...Texas is 11-8 in last for 40 straight days, currently a game ahead of the Yankees and 19 games at the Coliseum since Sept. 24, 2010…in the all-time series, the Orioles…current record matches 2011 for 2nd-best in club history through 159 Rangers lead, 315-300 overall with the A’s having a 158-148 advantage here games…Texas has club-record 4th consecutive winning season (previously 3 at Oakand Coliseum. straight twice)…season-high 29-over .500 twice, last on 9/24 (91-62)…the vs. A.L. West: Texas plays its final 19 games against A.L. West opponents (8- Rangers own majors’ best winning pct. since 2011 All-Star break at .603 (138- 8 to date)…Rangers have gone 27-27 against the West this year after a 40-17 91) and are tied with the Yankees at .589 (189-132) for last 2 years. mark in 2011...club is just 10-14 in A.L. West parks but has split its last 14 RANGERS’ BEST RANGERS’ BEST games....the Rangers were 20-10 on the road in its division a year ago. 159-GAME RECORDS 160-GAME RECORDS Rk W-L Year(s) Rk W-L Year(s) MIKE NAPOLI had a pair of homers and 6 RBI in the Game 2 victory Sunday 1 95-64 1999 1 95-65 1999 that sent the Rangers into postseason for a 3rd straight year...it was his 10th 2 93-66 2011, 2012 2 94-66 2011 career 2-homer game, the 3rd this season...the former Angel is just the 2nd 3 91-68 1977 3 92-68 1977 player in 2010-11 to have a game of 2+ homers and 6+ RBI versus his former team...the other was Seattle’s Justin Smoak (2 HR, 6 RBI) against the Rangers BEST RECORDS IN MAJORS IN 2012 on May 30, 2011, also in Arlington...Napoli matched his career best with 6 RBI, Win Pct. Team W-L G previously accomplished on August 25, 2010 vs. TB. .604 Cincinnati 96-63 159 --of Napoli’s 6 multi-HR games with the Rangers in 2011-12, 4 have come .604 Washington 95-63 159 against the Angels...he has homered 6 times versus his former club in each of .585 Texas 93-66 159 the last 2 years...the only other former Angel to hit as many as 6 homers as an .585 Atlanta 93-66 159 opposing player vs. the club is Bobby Bonds, 7 vs. Califonia with the Rangers .585 San Francisco 93-66 159 in 1978 (Elias Sports Bureau). .579 Baltimore 92-67 159 --Napoli also homered twice versus the Angels on Sept. 28, 2011 at Anaheim .589 New York-AL 92-67 159 to give Texas home-field advantage throughout the A.L. playoffs. IN THE LEAD: The Rangers lead the A.L. West by 2.0 RANGERS JOE NATHAN recorded just his 3rd blown save of the season in Game 1 on games over Oakland with 3 to play…that is the smallest mar- HISTORY Sunday, then came back to earn his 37th save of 2012 in Game 2...according gin since Sept. 15 (2.0 GA), just the 2nd day since April 13 MOST WINS to the Elias Sports Bureau, he becomes the 1st pitcher in franchise history to when lead has been small...last smaller lead was 1.5 games No. Year have both a save and a blown save on the same day...the last major league on April 12...have lost ground in the division in 5 of the past 96 2011 pitcher to do it was St. Louis’ Ryan Franklin on June 5, 2008 at WAS as he had 6 days after not losing any ground for 9 straight 95 1999 a save in Game 1 and a blown save in Game 2 of a regular DH. days…magic number to clinch the division is 2 94 1977 --Nathan’s 37 saves match Francisco Cordero in 2005 for the 7th most in team …Rangers’ 176 days in first place lead majors in 2012 and 93 2012 history...it was the 298th save of his career, 24th all-time, 2 behind Jason are the 3rd-most in team history for a season…season’s 90 1996 Isringhausen and Bruce Sutter. biggest advantage has been 6.5 games on 6 days, last thru 2010 games of August 12…club has led by at least 3.5 games for MOST DAYS KOJI AGAIN: Koji Uehara tossed a perfect 8th inning with 3 strikeouts in 146 of last 167 days beginning April 17…have had outright IN FIRST Game 2 on SUN…he has gone a club-record 9 consecutive appearances with- possession of A.L.