ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) \u2014 All of those rookie fill-ins are keeping the injury-plagued Texas Rangers in playoff contention. <\/p>\n
Center fielder Michael Helman hit a grand slam while driving in all of their runs against baseball\u2019s best team and Jacob Latz, while not a rookie but still a youngster, threw 5 2\/3 scoreless innings Monday night in a 5-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers<\/a> that got Texas as close as it has been to the AL West lead in more than three months. <\/p>\n \u201cThese kids have done a great job,\u201d manager Bruce Bochy said. \u201cJust doing a nice job of doing something every game they\u2019re playing, it seems like, to help us win a ball game.\u201d<\/p>\n The series opener against the Brewers (89-56), who have the best record in the majors and could in this series become the first team to officially clinch a playoff spot, came after Texas won two of three over AL West-leading Houston with other rookies impacting those wins. <\/p>\n Texas has won 12 of its last 16 games to get within 3 1\/2 games of Houston for the first time since May 30. The Rangers have 17 games remaining, including three in Houston next week, and are 1 1\/2 games behind division foe Seattle and a game ahead of Cleveland for the American League\u2019s final wild card<\/a>. <\/p>\n Dustin Harris, just called back that day when Adolis Garc\u00eda went on the injured list, hit a game-ending double in the 12th inning Friday night. That drove in Cody Freeman, another rookie, for a 4-3 win<\/a> in the opener against the Astros. <\/p>\n That series ended with a 4-2 win<\/a> Sunday when Freeman hit a two-out single in the sixth, then scored from first on Josh Jung\u2019s double to break a 1-all tie before Jake Burger\u2019s homer. <\/p>\n Texas is 11-5 in the games Freeman has started \u2014 at second base, third base, right field and designated hitter.<\/p>\n The Rangers opened last week with a 7-5 win at Arizona when rookie Alejandro Osuna had a two-run single in the 10th inning. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s awesome,\u201d Helman said. \u201cObviously it\u2019s unfortunate with all the guys that we\u2019ve lost. But some of us younger guys just have to come in here and try and play a role on this team, and try and be in situations to help us win ballgames.\u201d<\/p>\n Helman hit the first grand slam of this season for the Rangers. It was the first time in his 30 big league games that he batted with the bases loaded. <\/p>\n This playoff push comes with the Rangers missing their half-billion dollar middle infield of two-time World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager<\/a> (appendectomy) and second baseman Marcus Semien<\/a> (broken bone-sprained ligament in left foot). Slugging right fielder Garcia (right quad strain) could potentially return, while outfielders Evan Carter (season-ending right wrist fracture) and Sam Haggerty (left ankle) are also out. <\/p>\n The 29-year-old Latz (2-0), who has now started seven of the 79 games he has pitched in parts of four seasons for the Rangers, has made three starts in a row in what had been the rotation spot of Nathan Eovaldi<\/a> (11-3, career-best 1.73 ERA) before a right rotator cuff strain put him on the IL. <\/p>\n Texas has also lost pitchers Cody Bradford, Tyler Mahle and Jon Gray to injuries, and deadline addition lefty reliever Danny Coulombe is on the IL with shoulder fatigue. <\/p>\n Latz, a lefty, struck out four, walked one and allowed only three singles against the Brewers. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat a job he did,\u201d Bochy said. <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it\u2019s just a reminder, it doesn\u2019t matter when you\u2019re pitching or what role you\u2019re in, it\u2019s just going out there and executing the pitch,\u201d Latz said. \u201cBeing in the bullpen, I\u2019ve said it a a few times, it\u2019s helped me just take each pitch, each batter the same.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n