Lucas Giolito struck out a season-high 12 over seven scoreless innings, Josh Naylor and Andrés Giménez each drove in three runs, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Texas Rangers 12-3 on Friday night.
Texas, which had its six-game winning streak halted, currently holds the second AL wild-card berth. The Rangers also are second in the West, where first-place Houston and third-place Seattle are separated by 1 1/2 games.
Giolito (8-13), claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 31, allowed two hits and one walk in 100 pitches. The right-hander had lost his previous five starts, and was 1-8 with a 6.99 ERA in 12 outings with the White Sox, Los Angeles and Cleveland since July 4.
Naylor matched his career high with four hits and Giménez hit a two-run homer off right-hander Jon Gray (8-8), who allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings and is winless in six starts since Aug. 11.
Texas got on the board in the ninth when Sam Huff homered against Eli Morgan. Backup catcher Austin Hedges, who pitched a scoreless eighth, added a two-run single.
Ramón Laureano, who scored three runs and reached base five times, had a solo homer and Kole Calhoun hit a two-run shot.
Will Brennan had a two-run double in the sixth, when Cleveland scored five times off Andrew Heaney to go up 9-0. José Ramírez and Naylor added RBI doubles in the inning.