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Marcus Semien damaged his former team’s playoff hopes Wednesday night when he hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning to help the New York Mets defeat the Texas Rangers 7-2 in Arlington, Texas.
Texas (78-80) and Houston (78-80) remain tied for first in the American League West after the Astros lost 6-5 in 10 innings to the Seattle Mariners later Wednesday night.
The Astros won the season series with the Rangers 9-4, giving them the tiebreaker if the teams finish with identical records.
No baseball team has ever made the playoffs with a .500 or worse record in a full season.
Rangers closer Jacob Latz (3-4), pressed into duty earlier than usual in a tie game, wriggled out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh and retired the first two batters of the eighth before Semien launched a 388-foot homer to left.
The homer was the first since Aug. 7 for Semien, who was dealt to the Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo last November.
New York’s Juan Soto hit a two-run homer in the third and Brett Baty added insurance with a pinch-hit grand slam in the ninth for the Mets (73-85), who have won the first two games of the three-game series.
Texas’ Jake Burger hit an RBI single in the fifth, three batters before Evan Carter drove in the tying run by beating out the back end of a potential double-play ball.
Nolan McLean (12-10) capped an impressive rookie season by earning the win after allowing two runs on three hits and one walk, while striking out five over seven innings. McLean finished with a 3.16 ERA and 194 strikeouts over 31 starts and 179 2/3 innings.
Devin Williams, who was activated from the injured list Tuesday after missing seven weeks with a strained right shoulder, tossed a perfect eighth inning before Cionel Perez allowed one hit in the ninth.
Rangers starter Cody Bradford gave up two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out one over 4 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
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