LOS ANGELES — Cole Hamels pitched a complete game three-hitter as the Texas Rangers clinched the AL West title on the final day of the regular season with a 9-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels Sunday. Left-hander Hamels' pitching gem Sunday came one day after Texas used nine pitchers in a dramatic 11-10 loss to the Angels. The loss eliminated the Angels, who came into the game with a wild-card shot and it set up an American League Division series matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays. Texas has won each of the past 10 Major League Baseball games started by Hamels, but none bigger than Sunday. “All I was thinking about was trying to manage the game and limit baserunners and go as deep as I could go,” Hamels said. “I knew we were going to score runs. It was just a matter of time.” Royals 6, Twins 1: Royals right-hander Johnny Cueto pitched five innings, allowing just one run despite giving up six hits and a four walks and also struck out four as Kansas City beat Minnesota. Kansas City entered the day one game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the best record in the American League and the win made sure it stayed that way. They will play the winner of the American League wild card game between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros Thursday. The win was the 95th of the season for the Royals, the third-most in franchise history and the most since they won 97 games in 1980. Orioles 9, Yankees 4: Chris Davis hit a pair of two-run homers as the Baltimore Orioles swept their three-game series with New York with a 9-4 victory over the Yankees. In other games it was: Mariners 3, Athletics 2; Indians 3, Red Sox 1; Tigers 6, White Sox 0; Rays 12, Blue Jays 3. National League Cubs 3, Brewers 1: Six strong innings from Dan Haren and a two-run single in the first inning by first baseman Anthony Rizzo were more than enough for the Chicago Cubs to close out the regular season with a 3-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cubs will now head to Pittsburgh for the National League wild card game Wednesday. The Pirates earned home-field advantage for the game with a 4-0 victory over the Reds. Pirates 4, Reds 0: J.A. Happ pitched six strong innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds. Happ (11-8) allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked two for the Pirates (98-64) who will host the Cubs (97-65) Wednesday in the winner-take-all game after finishing one game ahead of Chicago in the wild card standings. Elsewhere it was: Mets 1, Nationals 0; Dodgers 6, Padres 3; Braves 6, Cardinals 0 (1st game); Braves 2, Cardinals 0 (2nd game); Phillies 7, Marlins 2; Rockies 7, Giants 3. Inter-League Diamondbacks 5, Astros 3: The Houston Astros returned to the playoffs after a 10-year absence despite a 5-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt's two-run homer broke a tie in the seventh inning, but the Astros were playoff bound an inning later after Texas beat the Los Angeles Angels to clinch the AL West. Houston (86-76) will play the New York Yankees in the AL wild card playoff game Tuesday in New York. It will be Astros' first playoff appearance since losing the 2005 World Series. — Agencies
