All of those rookie fill-ins are keeping the injury-plagued Texas Rangers in playoff contention this season.

Center fielder Michael Helman hit a grand slam while driving in all of their runs against baseball's 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 that got Texas as close as it has been to the AL West lead in more than three months.

"These kids have done a great job," manager Bruce Bochy said. "Just doing a nice job of doing something every game they're playing, it seems like, to help us win a ball game."

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

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