By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

Keone Kela finds himself playing a key role in the thick of a pennant race, and the Texas Rangers are more than happy to have him along for the ride.

"He's a good pitcher," said Texas manager Jeff Banister. "We like having him, and he's done a solid job for us."

Kela is in his rookie season as a relief pitcher out of Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle and Everett Community College. He mostly comes in for the eighth inning when the Rangers are ahead.

He has come through more often than not -- with 18 holds, one save and a 6-5 won-loss record.

Kela is cruising along with a 2.59 earned run average, and has 63 strikeouts in 54.2 innings of work over 62 games.

His latest success came in the eighth inning of Tuesday's 9-6 win over the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.
The 6-foot, 1-inch 190-pound right hander set the Mariners down 1-2-3 on a strikeout, a ground out, and another strikeout to earn a hold.

Kela has helped the Rangers into the lead for the American League's No. 2 wildcard spot and to within one and a half games of first place Houston in the AL West pennant race.

They stand at 75-67 with 23 games to go behind the Astros' 77-66 mark and they are one game ahead of 74-68 Minnesota in the wildcard.

Texas struggled to a 67-95 record last year, when Kela was not with the team yet.

Kela has especially been effective since he team sent him down for what the team called a "breather" with the Class AA Roughriders from Aug. 1-10. He has 12 shutout innings pitched and 17 strikeouts in 13 games after being recalled to the Major League Baseball ranks Aug. 11.

Before he was sent down, he was 5-5, 3.30 over an American League-high 49 relief appearances. He made the club out of spring training as a non-roster invitee after pitching for Frisco and Class A Myrtle Beach last year.

He posted his first Major League save against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 17.

But besides the numbers and a fastball that pushes 100 miles per hour, Kela showed other qualities in his recent four-game, four-day visit to Seattle.

"He's a nice kid," said one of the gatekeepers at Safeco Field of Kela, who was hugged and greeted by family and friends as he left the field following Thursday's series finale.