ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Cole Hamels and the Texas Rangers finally clinched the AL West title on the last day of the regular season.

Hamels pitched a threehitter, Adrian Beltre hit a go-ahead homer and the Rangers beat the Angels 9- 2 Sunday, eliminating Los Angeles from playoff contention.

A year after their 95 losses were the most in the American League, two months after they were still eight games out of first place and three days after ensuring themselves a postseason spot, the Rangers wrapped up their sixth division title.

Texas plays its first AL division series game since 2011 on Thursday at Toronto.

Moments after the final out, AL West championship banners already were flying at the ballpark. The Rangers will go there under first-year manager Jeff Banister, whose team lost ace Yu Darvish to Tommy John surgery before the season started.

DIAMONDBACKS 5, ASTROS 3

PHOENIX (AP) — Houston is going to the playoffs for the first time in a decade despite ending the regular season with a loss.

Houston finished 86-76 to reach the postseason for the first time since playing the Chicago White Sox in the 2005 World Series. The Astros will play their first AL playoff game Tuesday night, against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

PIRATES 4, REDS 0

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh clinched home field in the NL wild card game, winning behind J.A. Happ’s stellar outing and Pedro Alvarez’s long homer.

DODGERS 6, PADRES 3

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw struck out seven in an abbreviated start to become the first pitcher in 13 years to reach 300 strikeouts, and NL West champion Los Angeles closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak.

CUBS 3, BREWERS 1

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Sunday for their eighth straight win, but will have to play the NL wild card game in Pittsburgh.

RAYS 12, BLUE JAYS 3

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (AP) — Mark Buehrle failed to become the fifth major leaguer to pitch 200 innings or more in 15 consecutive seasons, and AL East champion Toronto missed out on home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Chris Colabello and Darwin Barney homered for the Blue Jays, who needed a win and a Kansas City loss to finish with the AL’s best record.

David Price is scheduled to start Game 1 of the Blue Jays’ AL Division series Thursday at home against AL West champion Texas. Toronto ended the regular season at 93-69, a 10-game improvement over last season.

ORIOLES 9, YANKEES 4

BALTIMORE (AP) — New York stumbled into home-field advantage in the AL wild-card game after a loss by Houston made the outcome of this one meaningless.

ROYALS 6, TWINS 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Salvador Perez added to his career-best home run total, Johnny Cueto tossed five solid innings and Kansas City secured home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

METS 1, NATIONALS 0

NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom looked especially sharp in his abbreviated playoff tuneup, and NL East champion New York finally scored on Curtis Granderson’s eighth-inning homer.

PHILLIES 7, MARLINS 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dee Gordon went 3 for 4 with a home run and a double to win the NL batting title over Washington’s Bryce Harper and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki pitched the eighth inning, but Philadelphia avoided a 100-loss season.

BRAVES 6, CARDINALS 0,
GAME 1
BRAVES 2, CARDINALS 0,
GAME 2

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Wisler pitched four-hit ball over 8 2/3 innings, and Atlanta won for a doubleheader sweep that sent St. Louis’ batters to the playoffs with a 27-inning scoreless streak.

ROCKIES 7, GIANTS 3

SAN FRANCISCO — Corey Dickerson hit a threerun homer, pinch-hitter Justin Morneau delivered a two-run single and Colorado rallied for seven runs in the ninth inning.

MARINERS 3, ATHLETICS 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Seth Smith hit a two-out, solo home run in the bottom of the eighth as Seattle rallied.

Smith’s 12th homer of the season came off reliever Ryan Dull (1-2) and just eluded the leap of Sam Fuld in deep center field. Seattle avoided being swept in the final series of the season and finished at 76-86, 11 games worse than last season, when the Mariners were in playoff contention until the final day of the regular season.

Logan Kensing (2-1) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the victory. Tom Wilhelmsen struck out the side in the ninth for his 13th save, a night after blowing a save opportunity.

TIGERS 6, WHITE SOX 0

CHICAGO (AP) — Daniel Norris pitched onehit ball for five innings and Tyler Collins had a basesclearing triple as Detroit finished its first-to-worst tumble in the AL Central.

The Tigers (74-87) entered this season the four-time defending division champion but were hurt by significant injuries and shaky pitching in falling to last place for the first time in seven years.

Chicago finished the season at 76-86, in fourth in the Central.