Coming into today, the last of the MLB season, three AL teams—the Rangers, Rays, and Indians—were vying for the two remaining playoff spots. Thanks to a late rally by the Rangers, that fight isn't yet finished, and the Rangers and Rays are set to play game 163.
The Indians got their business out of the way early, dispatching the Twins 5-1 and clinching home-field advantage for Wednesday's one-game wild card playoff. The Rays followed suit with a victory over the Blue Jays, a game they came very close to blowing after watching their seven-run lead nearly evaporate. In typical fashion, Fernando Rodney worked his way through an ugly save to bring home the 7-6 victory.
All the Rays needed to secure a spot in Wednesday's game was for the Rangers to lose to the Angels, but the Angels' bullpen refused to cooperate. The Halos took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning, at which point the Rangers began to blow things wide open. A pair of homers from Geovany Soto and Adrian Beltre paced the Rangers to a 6-2 win.
So, extra baseball tomorrow night! The Rays and Rangers will play in Texas to see who will face the Indians on Wednesday. Unless the Rangers decide to give the ball to Matt Garza on three days rest, the pitching match up will most likely be Martin Perez vs. David Price. Prepare yourself for the stresses of watching two play-in games in three days. Baseball be crazy.