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Aug 10, 2009 - 6:38 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Texas (62-48) at Cleveland (48-63), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Texas Rangers have shown they can compete with some of the AL's best teams. However, they still have plenty of work to do if they want to make the postseason for the first time in a decade.

Texas opens the final leg of a 10-game trip when it faces the resurgent Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.

Texas (62-48) took two of three at Los Angeles over the weekend to move within 3 1/2 games of the Angels for the AL West lead.

"We wanted to win this series, and we got it done," manager Ron Washington said. "That's not easy to do against that team. They're a pretty good team. I think we are, too. In fact, I know we are."

Texas, tied with slumping Boston for the wild card lead, is 5-1 against the Red Sox and 9-3 versus the Angels this season.

"So far, so good, but we have a long way to go," outfielder Marlon Byrd told the Rangers' official Web site after going 3 for 4 with a homer in Sunday's 7-0 win. "The name of the game is not beating the Angels, it's making the playoffs. We need to go into Cleveland and not have a letdown. We need to keep playing at a high level of intensity."

Byrd has been doing his part for a Rangers club looking to reach the postseason for the first time since 1999, batting .357 with three homers and 10 RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak.

Outfielder Nelson Cruz could return Tuesday from a sprained left ankle that has kept him out since last Monday. If that happens, Byrd will likely move back to left field while Josh Hamilton will go from right to center.

Dustin Nippert (3-0, 2.73 ERA) earned a spot in the Rangers' rotation when the club designated Vicente Padilla for assignment Friday. Nippert started in place of the injured Kevin Millwood last Monday and pitched five scoreless innings in a 3-2 loss at Oakland.

"I feel good that they believe in me and are giving me the opportunity," said Nippert, 1-0 with a 3.50 ERA in four starts in 2009. "I'm just going to take the ball every fifth day and try to give us a chance to win."

The right-hander will make his first appearance against Cleveland (48-63).

The Indians counter with Aaron Laffey (5-3, 3.58) as they try to continue their recent roll. Cleveland dropped 21 of 28 from June 15-July 19, but is 12-6 since that stretch.

The left-hander yielded one unearned run in a career-high eight innings to beat Minnesota 8-1 at Progressive Field on Wednesday. Laffey has gone 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four home starts this season.

The Indians won their third straight series this weekend, as Jamey Carroll homered and drove in a season-high three runs to lift Cleveland to an 8-4 victory at Chicago on Sunday.

Carroll has batted .386 in 15 career games versus Texas.

Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta has hit .333 with three homers and 21 RBIs in 22 games since the All-Star break.

The teams have split their last 10 meetings, all of which were played in Arlington. Texas, though, swept three games from Cleveland in the teams' first matchup this season from April 6-9, outscoring the Indians 29-14.

The Rangers took two of three in their last visit to Progressive Field from May 23-25, 2008.