ARLINGTON, Texas -- The only thing left on the table for the Texas Rangers in the regular season is the best record in the American League.That quest for home-field advantage through the AL postseason took a hit in the series opener against the lowly Milwaukee Brewers.The fourth-place team in the National League Central rocked the AL West champs 8-3 Monday night.The loss knocked Texas (92-65) a half-game back of red-hot Boston (92-64) in the race for the top mark in the Junior Circuit. The Rangers are a half-game up on Cleveland (91-65).The Red Sox take an 11-game winning streak into Tuesday nights game with the New York Yankees. Texas and the Brewers square off in the second of three games at Globe Life Park.Rangers left fielder Carlos Gomez did his part in the series opener against his former club. Gomez, who went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs, is making the most of his second chance since being waived by Houston.Its a big opportunity, he said. They signed me and gave me basically the everyday job. Just go to left field. Youre my left fielder. How I started in Houston, and then to come here and lead off and play left field, they saw something the other team didnt see. Its a big opportunity. Its a blessing to be on a winning team.The Brewers know all too well what Gomez can do. He was a two-time All-Star (2013-14) with Milwaukee before being traded to the Astros last season.With his season, I think theyre trying to get to confident place, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. It looks like theyre getting him there, so hes going to be an important player for them in the playoffs.Texas has to deal with Jonathan Villar, who homered twice Monday and drove in a career-high five. The second baseman had been 3-for335 this month before stinging the Rangers with three extra-base hits.I needed it because this month has been a little bit bad, Villar said. I want to finish strong.The Rangers, only 5-6 in their last 11, send struggling right-hander A.J. Griffin (7-4, 4.94 ERA) to the mound. Griffin matched the shortest outing of his career on Sept. 20 by lasting just 1 2/3 innings and allowing three earned runs against the Los Angeles Angels.He has gone 3-3 with a 6.32 ERA over his last nine starts.If anything, Texas hasnt been hurt by Griffins ineffectiveness. The club has won four of five and eight of his last 11 starts since July 24. Griffin is facing the Brewers for the first time since 2013.Milwaukee counters with Jimmy Nelson (8-15, 4.50) in his 32nd start of the season. The right-hander last started Sept. 21 against Pittsburgh in a 4-1 loss, going five innings and allowing four runs on six hits.He was 5-3 with a 2.88 ERA in his first 11 starts and is 3-12 with a 5.65 ERA in his last 20. The club is 12-19 in his starts. Nelson has never faced the Rangers. Luke Glendening Red Wings Jersey . 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The Browns coaching search remains incomplete.Jonny Bairstow has already scored more Test runs in a calendar year than any wicketkeeper in history - and he still has up to five games to play in 2016! The 27-year-old overtook the previous record of 1,045 registered by Zimbabwean, and former England coach, Andy Flower in 2000, during the second innings of Englands first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong and currently stands on 1,118 at the conclusion of that series - a figure topped by no-one in world cricket so far this year.Ahead of the first Test between India and England, live on Sky Sports, we take a look back at some of the highlights of Bairstows 2016 so far and hear about them from the man himself… Bairstows Career Stats Tests Innings Not Outs Highest Runs Average Hundreds 33 56 5 167no 2,083 40.84 3 Bairstows Key 2016 Stats Tests Innings Not Outs Highest Runs Average Hundreds 12 20 3 167no 1,118 65.76 3 New Year FireworksTalk about starting the year with a bang! Jonny Bairstow told Ian Ward about his emotional maiden Test century Bairstow described day two of the second Test against South Africa in Cape Town as probably the best day of his life after he clubbed a maiden Test century and shared a record sixth-wicket stand with Ben Stokes (258). Bairstow was unbeaten on 150 from 191 balls when Alastair Cook declared on 629-6 having shared a staggering partnership of 399 with Stokes. He cut a visibly emotional figure after reaching three figures with a boundary. Bairstow looks to the heavens after completing his first Test century What Jonny said: There have been a lot of ups and downs so it is a special day, not just for myself but the people and my family that have helped me along the way. It was always going to be emotional, with my grandpa passing away last year and it approaching the anniversary of my dads death, so I am delighted to score my century in the New Years Test. Its great to play Test cricket - it tests you all the way through, so to come out with 150 is hopefully the start of a long career.A Heady TriumphBairstow had a Headingley homecoming to remember, scoring crisply in conditions that troubled others to rack up 140 out of a total of 298 while batting at seven. The Verdict panel compares Jonny Bairstow to Adam Gilchrist In short, he appeared to be playing a different game despite coming to the wicket with England in a whole heap of trouble at 83-5 and steering the innings to safety with Alex Hales (86) offering solid, if less fluent assistance. The only blip came when he had 70 when Nuwan Pradeep shelled a return catch. Anderson rather took the headlines at the close of play after obliterating Sri Lanka with 5-16 before stumps but the stunning stat of the day was that Bairstow, in four innings at Headingley for county and country in 2016, had scored 589 runs at an average of 147.25. Home is where the runs are: Bairstow scores heavily at Headingley What Jonny said: I didnt tell myself too much when I came in at 83-5 - you dont want to change too much about the way you have been pplaying so I didnt consciously adapt anything.dddddddddddd I was slightly nervous in the nineties - if youre not in that situation then I think theres something wrong with you - but thankfully I was able get over the line. The runs Hales scored and the length of time he batted was imperative for us as we set a total that helped us win the game.Lauded at LordsBairstow was averaging over 106 in his six Test appearances of 2016 after racking up an unbeaten 167 at the Home of Cricket after once again going in with England struggling, on 86-4. Bairstow reflects on a special innings at Lords The No 6 had his own moments of fortune - principally when he was dropped on 11 by Shaminda Eranga at mid-wicket. Bairstow found an admirable foil as he went about compiling his second score of over 150 in Tests in Chris Woakes, who completed his maiden Test fifty to help England up to and beyond the 400 mark only for the match to eventually fizzle out into a draw because of rain. On the board: Bairstow makes his mark at HQ What Jonny said: In the past I was over-analysing things and getting far too technical. Now, though, I am standing relaxed at the crease, watching the ball, and letting the flow of the bat go through the ball. I used to play the ball slightly further in front of me and push at the ball, but now I am playing it underneath my eye line a bit later. Its been a journey - Ive gone away, worked on things, re-evaluated and trusted myself. If I get left out now Ive gone about it the way I want to go about it, not how other people want to go about it. Bairstows Test innings in 2016 Scores Opposition Venue Month 150no & 30no South Africa Cape Town January 45 & DNB South Africa Johannesburg January 0 & 14 South Africa Centurion January 140 Sri Lanka Headingley May 48 & DNB Sri Lanka Chester-le-Street May 167no & 32 Sri Lanka Lords June 29 & 48 Pakistan Lords July 58 & DNB Pakistan Old Trafford July 12 & 83 Pakistan Edgbaston August 55 & 81 Pakistan The Oval August 52 & 47 Bangladesh Chittagong October 24 & 3 Bangladesh Dhaka October Watch each of the five Tests between India and England live on Sky Sports and across our digital platforms, starting with the first Test from 3.30am on Wednesday 9th November. Also See: India v England flash points Anderson to join England tour Indias ones to watch India v England: Story of 2012 ' ' '