Athletics rout Rangers to clinch AL West title

The Oakland Athletics routed the Texas Rangers 12-5 to secure Major League Baseball's American League West title for the first time in six years. Oakland stood 13 games behind the Rangers on June 30, but the Athletics have gone a MLB-best 57-26 since. That included their three-game season-closing sweep of the Rangers to clinch the 15th AL West crown in team history. Coco Crisp drove in two runs and scored twice in Wednesday's contest, while Brandon Moss added three RBIs and a run scored for the A's, who could finish with the best record in the AL and home-field advantage throughout the league playoffs if New York loses to Boston later Wednesday. A's pitcher Evan Scribner earned the win after throwing three scoreless innings in relief of starter A.J. Griffin. Griffin allowed five runs on seven hits in just 2 2/3 innings. Four of the five runs he allowed were earned. Slugger David Murphy knocked in two runs and Adrian Beltre drove in one run for the Rangers, who will continue their quest for a third-straight World Series appearance when they play in a wild card game on Friday. Texas will face the second-place finisher in the AL East, either the Yankees or Baltimore. Pitcher Derek Holland suffered the loss after giving up three runs on three hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Holland won 12 games and lost seven this season.