The final five days of the MLB regular season are upon us. The Oakland Athletics and the Kansas City are tied for the top wild card spot. Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners are behind them by three games with five games left to play and need all the help they can get.
These types of situation call for some thrilling baseball action. Read on as we breakdown the key things to watch in the American League wild card race. Want to cash in on the remaining MLB regular season games? Head over to our MLB Free Picks for the best five baseball games to bet on today.
[sc:MLBArticles ]American League Wild Card Race Preview
Can the Athletics Keep it Toghether?
Once owners of the best record and the best offense in the majors, the Oakland Athletics have since gone on a historic slide. They lost their status as the MLB’s best team to AL West rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, while they fell all the way down to second-worst in hitting with a batting average of .231 post All-Star break.
[sc:MLB240banner ]However, their pitching remains solid in September with a 2.98 ERA. The Athletics have repeatedly failed to give their pitchers the run support needed to win games. Not even acquiring first baseman Adam Dunn from the Chicago White Sox has boosted their offense significantly. Big Donkey has hit .235 with two homers and eight RBIs since suiting up for Oakland on September 1. The Athletics have gone 7-13 since Dunn’s arrival.
Oakland will end the regular season with a four-game set at Texas, and the outlook isn’t very optimistic. The A’s suffered a three-game sweep at O.co Coliseum on September 16 to 18 by the Rangers. To rub salt into their wounds, the A’s were also outscored 19-6 in that set by one of the worst teams in the majors.
Kansas City Royals – AL Central Champions or Wild Card Contenders?
The Kansas City Royals are inching closer to their first postseason appearance in 29 years. Their magic number to make the playoffs has gone down to just three games after their win against the Indians yesterday. Even better, the race for the AL Central championship isn’t over for Kansas City. They are just one game behind the division leaders Detroit with five games remaining.
The good news for Royals fans is their remaining schedule is powder puff-light. They face the Cleveland Indians tonight before traveling to Chicago for a four-game set against the White Sox. Tonight’s Royals vs. Indians game will easily be the toughest remaining. The Royals are +103 underdogs to complete the sweep, and if they do they will be thinking more about the AL Central title than any wild card.
The Kansas City Royals are enjoying some steady contributions at the top of the batting order with Nori Aoki and Alcides Escobar hitting .397 and .291 respectively in September. However, they will need some more production at the middle of the order as Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Salvador Perez have combined for a .201 average this month.
Still, the Royals remain dangerous contenders especially with starter Danny Duffy looking like an ace after pitching for six shutout innings against Cleveland on Monday. Factor in rookie starter Yordano Ventura’s 1.62 ERA in September, and the Royals are a formidable team to face come October.
Seattle Mariners Have Some Catching Up to Do
The Seattle Mariners are three games behind the Royals for the second Wild Card spot. The future looks a bit too bleak for them as they have two more games against the hot bats of the Toronto Blue Jays before opening a three-game set at home against the majors-best Los Angeles Angels. The Mariners will need to win all their games if they want even a slim shot at making the playoffs, while also hoping for a Kansas City or Oakland collapse.
The Mariners were put in this sticky predicament due to a pitching rut, to which not even King Felix Hernandez (14-6, 2.34 ERA) has been immune to, as he yielded eight runs in just 4.2 innings of work in Toronto yesterday. After two games, the Blue Jays have outscored the Mariners 24-6.
The Seattle Mariners are priced at EVEN to avoid the sweep tonight and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Key Series – Los Angeles Angels @ Seattle Mariners – September 26 to 28
The Seattle Mariners close their series against the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. Because the Angels have already locked up the division title as well as a playoff spot, the Mariners may bomb their way past a sleeping Los Angeles side for a possible sweep. Seattle will also be starting two of their best starters in Hisashi Iwakuma and Felix Hernandez, which gives them a very live chance to at least win their final series.
Writer’s Prediction
The Kansas City Royals take the top wild card spot after the regular season for home field advantage. They’ll face Jon Lester and the Oakland Athletics in the wild card game at Kauffman Stadium. Create a betting account now and get set for what should be a great MLB playoffs.
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