Mariners Win 8th Straight, Close in on Wild Card Berth

With 2 ½ weeks to go in the regular season, the races in the American League Central and West are nearly over. At the start of play on September 15th, Cleveland held a six game lead over Detroit in the Central, while the Texas Rangers were 8 ½ in front of the Seattle Mariners in the West. It’s a different story in the East, where Boston was in front, followed by Baltimore at one game back, Toronto at two games behind, and the Yankees at four games back. Baltimore is in the lead for one Wild Card berth, and Toronto would claim the second Wild Card if the season ended now.

Of course the season isn’t over and it’s a free for all for those Wild Cards. Detroit is just a game behind Toronto in the Wild Card standings and Houston is 3 ½ back. Defending World Series Champion Kansas City’s chances of reaching the post season are evaporating quickly with the Royals five games back. But the hottest team in the American League right now is the Seattle Mariners, who have won eight straight and are now just a half game behind Detroit, and a game and a half behind Toronto for the second Wild Card. The Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on September 14th, behind Nelson Cruz’ 37th home run of the season:

Seattle has six games left against Houston and three with Toronto. Detroit has seven games left with Cleveland and could theoretically catch the Indians, but the Tigers are just 1-11 against Cleveland this season and are more likely to be eliminated from reaching the post season by them. Baltimore has four left with the Red Sox, three with Toronto, and three with the Yankees. The Yankees have seven left with Boston, four with Toronto, and three with Baltimore. An optimist would say they have a good shot because they play so many of the teams in front of them, but it’s also a very tough road for them. The Wild Card race has created a “fourth division” and will make it exciting down the stretch.