Break it Down: The AL Wild Card Race

The Texas Rangers have won four straight games, including Thursday night's dramatic walk-off home run by Jurickson Profar. And if the Rangers win out and sweep the four-game set against the Angels — not an easy task, but a doable one — they'd close the year on a seven-game winning streak. And they still might not make the playoffs.

The Rangers are currently one game back of the Cleveland Indians for the second AL wild card spot. The Indians are one game back of Tampa Bay for the top wild card. It's definitely jumbled and only three days remain in the regular season.

The Rays have three games left at Toronto, and the Indians have three games left at Minnesota.

If the Rangers are able to tie Cleveland for the second wild card spot, the teams would play Monday in Cleveland (due to the Indians owning the season series between the two) for the chance to go to Tampa Bay for the AL Wild Card Game on Wednesday.

If Cleveland moves past Tampa Bay and the Rangers tie the Rays for the second spot, the Rays would come to Texas on Monday and the winner of that game would go on to Cleveland.

But, what if the three teams tie each other. That's when things get really crazy, and it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Thanks to the Indians' 5-1 record against the Rangers this year, the Rangers would be deemed the third seed in a little mini tournament based on cumulative record against each other. The Indians would have the top seed, and the Rays would be the second seed.

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The teams, in order of seeding, would choose their spot in the tournament: A, B or C.

Team A: Would host Team B for one of the two wild card spots. The loser would travel to Team C to play for the second wild card spot.

Team B: Would have to go to Team A and play and with a loss would have to travel to Team C.

Team C: Wait in the wings and get one game at home.

Team A would seem to be the most desirable, but after that it's a matter of opinion between Team B and Team C.

After the tournament, the Wild Card Game site would be determined in the normal way — season series between the two teams. Rangers would host the Rays, and the Rangers would travel to Cleveland.

Buckle up, folks. Things could get very interesting.


Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/foul_territory/2013/09/looking-at-rangers-different-playoff-scenarios.html#storylink=cpy
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