ARLINGTON, Texas -- Seven days after the Texas Rangers clinched their second straight American League West title, they took another significant step toward their ultimate goal.Yu Darvish looked playoff-ready with a season-high 12 strikeouts in six innings as the Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Friday night and clinched home-field advantage throughout the postseason.The Rangers can be tied by the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, and they own tie-breakers over both teams. The AL owns home-field advantage in the World Series thanks to its win in the All-Star Game.Texas has never previously owned home-field advantage throughout the postseason and has never won a World Series. This clinching came thanks to the teams record 53rd home victory.Were playing really good baseball at home, shortstop Elvis Andrus said, so its always good to start everything at home.Darvish (7-5) allowed one run, three hits and one walk. His 28th career game of double-digit strikeouts is the second-most in a pitchers first 100 major league starts, topped only by Dwight Gooden (31). Darvish will likely start Game 2 of the Division Series -- following Cole Hamels -- in his first postseason appearance since losing the 2012 AL wild-card game to Baltimore.He looks a little bit more electric to me, said Evan Longoria, who had two of the Rays four hits. His ball is moving in different directions.Shin-Soo Choo returned to Texas lineup after missing 39 games with a fractured left forearm. Choo pulled a single to right in his first plate appearance since Aug. 15 and went 1 for 4.Matt Andriese (8-8) gave up three runs and seven hits, including solo home runs to Carlos Beltran and Rougned Odor.Darvish went into the game averaging 11.45 strikeouts per nine innings this season, best in the league. In his final four starts of the season, he fanned 38 in 24 2/3 innings.Ive had pretty good results lately, Darvish said through a translator, and I think Im in a good position now.Beltran homered just inside the right-field foul pole, his 29th of the season and seventh since joining Texas at the non-waiver trade deadline.Odors homer was his 33rd, tying Adrian Beltre for the team lead this season. The only Texas second baseman to hit more in a season is Alfonso Soriano, with 35 in 2005.Longoria had two doubles, one driving in the Rays run, giving him career highs of 171 hits and 80 extra-base hits this season.CHOO KNOWS HIS MISSIONResults arent the most important thing for Choo with him scheduled to play all three games of the series, which will determine if hes on the 25-man postseason roster.My job is to show them Im healthy the next three days, he said.AFTER DARVISH, MORE ZEROESSam Dyson earned his 38th save. Four Texas relievers worked three scoreless innings, running the bullpens streak to a club-record 29 2/3, and it allowed one hit and one walk.These are guys weve seen be extremely effective, overpowering, have the ability to get outs when they need to get outs, manager Jeff Banister said.SHORT HOPSTexas (95-65) is one win short of tying the club record set in 2011. ... The Rays are 10-18 in September, the most losses in one month for the team since going 7-20 in July 2007. ... Logan Forsythe, who has been the Rays leadoff hitter in 123 games this season, appeared as a pinch-hitter and will return to the lineup on Saturday night. ... Ian Desmond increased his majors-leading total of outfield errors to 12 with two dropped fly balls.UP NEXTTampa Bay: Jake Odorizzi (9-6) hasnt won since Aug. 30. The Rays have lost in his last four starts, during which he has had a 5.40 ERA.Texas: Colby Lewis (6-4), who figures to start Game 3 of the Division Series, is 0-3 with a 9.75 ERA in three September starts after missing two months with a strained lat muscle. Lewis lasted only 1 1/3 innings in his previous start last Sunday at Oakland. Brad Marchand Jersey .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. David Pastrnak Jersey . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. http://www.cheapbruinsjerseys.com/ . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. Derek Sanderson Jersey . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. Noel Acciari Jersey . But Bourque, who has missed three games with a lower-body injury, wont be in the lineup when the Habs travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres on Wednesday. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Wednesday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber gets the chance to become the first pitcher since Mickey Lolich in 1968 to win three World Series starts when the Cleveland Indians try again to close out the Chicago Cubs in Game 7. Major league ERA leader Kyle Hendricks is set to start against him. Game starts 8:08 p.m.- Sidebar on the World Series MVP.- Who will end their drought? Postgame commentary on Game 7 of the World Series between the Chicago Cubs, seeking their first title since 1908, and the Cleveland Indians, who havent won it all since 1948.- ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- Theres one player still alive who appeared in the 1945 World Series, when the Chicago Cubs reached Game 7 before losing to Detroit. Ed Mierkowicz, who played for the victorious Tigers, looks back.- The NFLs NFC is so wide open that a Thursday night meeting between Atlanta and Tampa Bay could wind up having some significance when the playoff races conclude.- CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton is expected to discuss his phone call with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell when he meets with the media. Newton complained after Carolinas last game that he didnt feel officials were protecting him in the pocket.- FRISCO, Texas -- As Dallas rookie quarterback Dak Prescotts winning streak grows, Jerry Jones keeps modifying the answer for what happens when Tony Romo is ready. The latest change from the Cowboys owner and GM: Dallas should stay with the hot hand, and Romo is fine with it.- Auburn and LSU played the last weekend of September. Both coaches were feeling heat. The game was ugly with a bizarre ending. The next day LSU fired coacch Les Miles with a 2-2 record, and Auburn and Gus Malzahn were feeling fortunate to have that same record.dddddddddddd Now both SEC West Tigers are very much in the race not only for a conference championship, but maybe even a spot in the College Football Playoff.- The Southeastern Conference enters its final month of the regular season and seven of the leagues 14 teams are still in realistic contention for a spot in the leagues championship game. Heres a look at the road each team must face as it tries to make it to Atlanta.- The Big 12 is a longshot to return to the playoff this season, and the conferences championship game isnt resuming until next year. Still, the Big 12 has to determine a champion to represent the league in the Sugar Bowl against an SEC team, and fill the rest of its bowl spots.- STORRS, Conn. -- UConns womens basketball team is not favored to win a fifth straight national title this season, but talk of the dynastys demise may be a bit premature.- PARIS -- Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are in action at the Paris Masters, where the Briton has a chance to overtake his Serb rival at the top of the ATP rankings. Djokovic opens his bid for a fifth title at the indoor tournament against Gilles Muller while Murray takes on Fernando Verdasco.- ARCADIA, Calif. -- California Chrome will try to cap an undefeated year with a victory in the $6 million Breeders Cup Classic this weekend at Santa Anita. The 5-year-old has overcome volatile ownership and injuries since winning the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness to become North Americas richest thoroughbred in history. ' ' '