Texas and Toronto enter a three-game showdown tied at 76-77, with both clubs fighting to stay alive in the AL Wild Card and division races.

ARLINGTON – The Texas Rangers have reached the point of the season where almost every pitch feels like October.

Texas entered its three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Field with a 76-77 record, sitting one game behind Houston in the American League West and two games out of the final AL Wild Card position. Toronto arrived with the same 76-77 mark, turning the weekend into a virtual postseason elimination series.

There’s very little margin left.

MORE: Alejandro Tosti’s Caddie Walks Off Mid-Round At Biltmore Championship

The Rangers have just nine games remaining, and their biggest advantage may be where this series is being played. Texas entered the weekend 42-33 at Globe Life Field and had won 10 of its previous 13 home series.

“We’ve been playing really well at home, so that’s huge,” manager Skip Schumaker said.

Texas will need that home-field edge immediately.

Toronto sends Dylan Cease to the mound in the opener, giving the Blue Jays one of baseball’s premier strikeout arms in the most important series of their season. Cease entered at 11-5 with a 2.38 ERA and 236 strikeouts.

Texas counters with Kumar Rocker, whose season has been far less predictable. Rocker entered at 5-11 with a 4.54 ERA, but his raw stuff gives the Rangers a chance if he can avoid early traffic and keep Toronto from building a quick lead.

The middle game projects as José Soriano against Cal Quantrill, with Quantrill carrying a 9-5 record and 2.90 ERA into the weekend.

Then Texas has Jacob deGrom lined up for Sunday.

That potentially gives the Rangers a major advantage if the series reaches the finale tied at one game apiece.

Offensively, Texas is finally getting healthier.

Josh Jung recently returned from a calf injury and immediately provided a boost. Jung had three hits in Wednesday’s 7-3 victory over Boston, continuing a productive comeback after missing nearly two months.

The lineup also needs production from Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, Brandon Nimmo, Jake Burger and Ezequiel Duran.

Texas remains without Joc Pederson, who is recovering from a fractured left hand and had not resumed swinging a bat as of Thursday. Jack Leiter has also been working his way back after ankle surgery and subsequent biceps soreness.

Toronto has injury problems of its own, including the continued absence of Anthony Santander, while the Blue Jays’ offense has struggled to consistently support its pitching staff.

That’s where Texas may have an opening.

The Rangers have already beaten Toronto four times this season, sweeping a June series by scores of 6-5, 5-4, 7-4 and 3-2. That also gives Texas the season-series tiebreaker, a potentially enormous advantage if the clubs finish with identical records.

MORE: Cowboys Defense Looks Painfully Familiar After Week 1 Loss

For the Rangers, the equation isn’t complicated.

Win the series and remain firmly in the hunt.

Lose it, and the combination of the AL West deficit, Wild Card traffic and shrinking schedule becomes increasingly difficult to overcome.

With deGrom waiting for Sunday and Globe Life Field providing a meaningful home advantage, two wins out of three could keep Texas’ postseason push very much alive.