The American League Wild Card standings are to die for as we enter the second week of baseball in the month of September. Managers are bickering and players are trying to keep their teams in the race as the season is winding down. Here are the A.L. Wild Card standings entering today's action.
As of Tuesday morning, the struggling Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays are sitting at the top of the standings. The Rays are back in action against the Boston Red Sox and they could really use a win. The Rangers were shutout by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday and they too could use a win. The Rays and Rangers are 3-7 in their last 10 games. This isn't the right time to lose game. The Rangers are holding a 2.5-game lead over the Rays, but the Rays are only 1.5 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles and the Cleveland Indians.
Texas Rangers: 81-62
Tampa Bay Rays: 78-64
Baltimore Orioles: 77-66 (1.5 GB)
Cleveland Indians: 77-66 (1.5 GB)
New York Yankees: 76-68 (3.0 GB)
Kansas City Royals: 75-69 (4.0 GB)
That's how the Wild Card picture is set up in the A.L. It might be a little shocking that a fourth-place team like the New York Yankees is still in the hunt. However, acquiring Alfonso Soriano and getting a healthy Alex Rodriguez back, has helped the Bronx Bombers a lot down the stretch. The Yankees were playing better baseball in July, but if they can somehow dip into their "Yankee Magic" well and find a way to win ball games, things could get slipper for teams like the Rangers, Rays and O's.
Another team many have ignored down the stretch are the Royals. They are only four games back from the Rays, meaning if the Royals get hot, they are well within striking distance to take over and make a playoff appearance. We look back at their winter deal that sent one of baseball's top prospects, Wil Myers to Tampa for ace James Shields. If the Royals want this move to pay its dividends, they will have to find a way to win in the final weeks of the season and losing to the Indians on Monday surely did not help.
