Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob Latz throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning Monday in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers won 5-0. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — All of those rookie fill-ins are keeping the injury-plagued Texas Rangers in playoff contention.

Center fielder Michael Helman hit a grand slam while driving in all of their runs against baseball’s best team and Jacob Latz, while not a rookie but still a youngster, threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings Monday night in a 5-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers that got Texas as close as it has been to the AL West lead in more than three months.

“These kids have done a great job,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Just doing a nice job of doing something every game they’re playing, it seems like, to help us win a ball game.”

The series opener against the Brewers (89-56), who have the best record in the majors and could in this series become the first team to officially clinch a playoff spot, came after Texas won two of three over AL West-leading Houston with other rookies impacting those wins.

Texas has won 12 of its last 16 games to get within 3 1/2 games of Houston for the first time since May 30. The Rangers have 17 games remaining, including three in Houston next week, and are 1 1/2 games behind division foe Seattle and a game ahead of Cleveland for the American League’s final wild card.

Dustin Harris, just called back that day when Adolis García went on the injured list, hit a game-ending double in the 12th inning Friday night. That drove in Cody Freeman, another rookie, for a 4-3 win in the opener against the Astros.

The Rangers opened last week with a 7-5 win at Arizona when rookie Alejandro Osuna had a two-run single in the 10th inning.

This playoff push comes with the Rangers missing their half-billion dollar middle infield of two-time World Series MVP shortstop Corey Seager (appendectomy) and second baseman Marcus Semien (broken bone-sprained ligament in left foot).

The 29-year-old Latz (2-0), who has now started seven of the 79 games he has pitched in parts of four seasons for the Rangers, has made three starts in a row in what had been the rotation spot of Nathan Eovaldi (11-3, career-best 1.73 ERA) before a right rotator cuff strain put him on the IL.

Latz, a lefty, struck out four, walked one and allowed only three singles against the Brewers.

“What a job he did,” Bochy said.