Second ace set to join already potent rotation

HOUSTON — When Rangers general manager Jon Daniels made the trade for left-hander Cole Hamels last summer, he had two things in mind.

First, an immediate return. He believed Hamels might be one of the final bricks in the wall to get Texas back to the postseason in 2015.

That part of the plan worked out nicely, as the Rangers won 10 straight Hamels starts down the stretch to overtake the Astros and capture the American League West.

Daniels also had a broader vision. He looked ahead to a time this season when Texas would have two aces — Hamels and Yu Darvish — at the top of its rotation. That one-two punch might compare favorably with any in the game and potentially make the Rangers a formidable October team.

That vision is about to become reality. Darvish, fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, made his final Minor League rehab start on Sunday, and he likely will return to the rotation next Saturday against the Pirates in Arlington.

Here’s the part the Rangers couldn’t have predicted. Even without Darvish throwing a pitch, the rotation has been the AL’s best. Hamels allowed one earned run over eight innings Sunday afternoon to lower the rotation ERA to 3.38, lowest in the league.

“Darvish is going to come in, and we’re going to have fun,” Hamels said after the Rangers completed a weekend sweep of the Astros with a 9-2 victory. “He’s a tremendous asset to this team.”

At the moment, the AL West is a two-team race, with the Mariners (26-17) leading the Rangers (25-19) by 1 1/2 games. The Angels (20-24) are in …

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