Kansas City Royals: Third Postseason Picture Update

The Kansas City Royals went 3-3 this past week. See how the other teams in the American League did over the past seven days and what that means going forward.

This is our third time doing a Kansas City Royals postseason picture update, but you probably could have guessed that given the headline.

Well we see no reason to stop. They have been popular (thanks again for reading) and things have not settled down.

Everyone keeps waiting for somebody, anybody, to start pulling away in the race for the second Wild Card spot in the American League. That just has not happened. If anything, the picture keeps getting fuzzier.

This week there are two teams tied for the fifth playoff spot and another six teams within five games. At some point, we are just going to have to accept the possibility of an eight-way tie for the second Wild Card berth.

If that happens, or if the Kansas City Royals are in some other tie for a playoff spot, it will be easy for fans to point to a game from this past week that cost them the spot outright. But this is baseball, every team has gut-wrenching losses and they all have improbable wins.

Now, let’s take a look at some of both from the previous week.

Down but Not Out

Teams found here are struggling at the worst possible time. A solid run will put any of these teams back in contention, but none of them look capable of pulling it off at the moment.

In a race this congested, one bad week and definitely two can completely ruin you. We’re looking at you Tampa Bay.

The trio of teams on this page are either four (Rays and Orioles) or five (Blue Jays) games back of the Twins and Angels. If they want to, truly, get back in the race, now is the time.

Toronto Blue Jays

Overall record (through Sunday): 59-65

Last week: 3-4

This week: Off Monday; at Tampa Bay Rays (Tue.-Thu.); vs. Minnesota Twins (Fri.-Sun.)

Things started off great for Toronto this past week. One of the first rules they teach you in “How to Climb the Standings for Dummies” is to beat the teams ahead of you when given the chance.

Check. The Blue Jays took three of four from the visiting Rays to start the week.

The fictitious book does not recommend getting swept by the teams that aren’t ahead of you. If you’re going to get swept, having it done by the defending World Series champs is not the worst thing, especially since they are in the National League. However, it’s still not a good move.

This week offers more opportunities for Toronto to beat the teams ahead of it—three games at Tampa Bay and three at home against Minnesota.

Baltimore Orioles

Overall record (through Sunday): 60-64

Last week: 2-4

This week: Vs. Oakland Athletics (Mon.-Wed.); off Thursday; at Boston Red Sox (Fri.-Sun.)

The Orioles played two crucial series last week against fellow Wild Card jockeys. They lost both series.

They lost both even though they won the opening game of the two series. That’s hard to overcome.

A win in Seattle on Monday was followed by a pair of losses to the Mariners. Even when they returned home the story was the same. A win over the Angels on Friday but two defeats to Los Angeles to close the three-game set.

Buck Showalter & Co. need a sweep—or at least a series win—over Oakland to feel good about themselves heading into a weekend trip to Boston.

Tampa Bay Rays

Overall record (through Sunday): 61-65

Last week: 2-5

This week: Off Monday; vs. Toronto Blue Jays (Tue.-Thu.); at St. Louis Cardinals (Fri.-Sun.)

Since three straight wins over Houston to open the month of May, Tampa Bay has gone a horrid 4-12.

And yet the Rays are just four games back. This is life as we know it.

Things have to turn around or the Rays will be completely out of contention by the first week of September. It won’t be easy for an offense that has scored four-plus runs just three times since Aug. 3.

The pitching has been holding up its end of the bargain, for the most part. Only three times during the aforementioned swoon have the Rays allowed more than five runs. However, two of those times came this past weekend in a critical series against Seattle.

With series left against Toronto, Kansas City, Minnesota and twice against Baltimore, Tampa Bay has the time and matchups needed to ascend the Wild Card standings. Whether it can, that remains to be seen.

Making a Run at It

The only constant in this Wild Card mess is change. It keeps things interesting, but also makes things hard to follow and even harder to comprehend.

Good luck trying to figure out how Texas is still hanging around after selling its ace. Or how Seattle is refusing to go away even with its injury issues in the rotation. Or how the Kansas City Royals have played horribly in August and are just 1.5 games behind the Twins and Angels.

Don’t worry. You don’t have to try to figure out why. I’ve done the work for you. Just take a look.

Texas Rangers

Overall record (through Sunday): 61-62

Last week: 5-2

This week: At Los Angeles Angels (Mon.-Thu.); at Oakland Athletics (Fri.-Sun.)

Every week it seems a team or two charges up the standings after an impressive run. A while back it was Seattle, last week it was Minnesota and Los Angeles, and this time it’s Texas.

Thought to be dead and buried when Yu Darvish was traded in the final moments before the trade deadline, the Rangers have shown a lot of fight.

The only constant in this Wild Card mess is change.

Their recent success can be attributed to not only a strong offense, but also an easy schedule. Anything less than five wins out of seven games against the Tigers and White Sox at this point would be a disappointment. In fact, Texas should be discouraged after dropping a pair of one-run games to Chicago.

After dabbling in the cellars of the Central Division, the Rangers begin a stretch of 13 consecutive games—10 on the road—against West Division opposition on Monday. Seven of those games come against the Angels, so if the Rangers are for real, it will soon become apparent.

Seattle Mariners

Overall record (through Sunday): 63-62

Last week: 4-2

This week: At Atlanta Braves (Mon.-Wed.); off Thursday; at New York Yankees (Fri.-Sun.)

That Seattle had a winning record over the past seven days with what can only be described as a make-shift rotation is commendable. To go 4-2—winning both series—against a pair of Wild Card rivals in the Orioles and Rays is unbelievable.

I mean, this is the current Mariners starting rotation: Andrew Albers, Marco Gonzales, Erasmo Ramirez, Ariel Miranda and Yovani Gallardo. That is not the rotation of a playoff team.

If Seattle can hold things together long enough for Felix Hernandez and James Paxton to come back, this team could be dangerous heading down the stretch.

Just ask Baltimore and Tampa Bay.

Kansas City Royals

Overall record (through Sunday): 62-61

Last week: 3-3

This week: Off Monday; vs. Colorado Rockies (Tue.-Thu.); at Cleveland (Fri.-Sun.)

After a pair of sub-.500 weeks, finishing 3-3 felt like a successful week for the Kansas City Royals.

They will feel they let one get away on Tuesday in Oakland, but avoiding a sweep against Cleveland on Sunday helped put a positive spin on the week.

The Kansas City Royals still have an overall winning record, but that will be challenged with six games this week against virtual playoff locks Colorado and Cleveland. Although it won’t cut it the rest of the way, another .500 week wouldn’t be a huge surprise.

After that comes a season-defining stretch of games against Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Detroit and Minnesota again. If the Kansas City Royals are going to catch the Twins in the Wild Card chase, that would be the time to do it.

Tied for AL second Wild Card spot

For the first time since we’ve started doing this, there is a tie for a playoff position.

I think we all knew it was only a matter of time before this happened. Not sure a lot of people ever thought it would be the Angels and Twins, though. Or at least not until both caught fire last week.

If the season had ended Sunday, Minnesota would be hosting Los Angeles—due to a superior head-to-head record—in a Game 163 to determine the second Wild Card slot. The winner would then face the Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game.

Los Angeles Angels

Overall record (through Sunday): 64-60

Last week: 3-2

This week: Vs. Texas Rangers (Mon.-Thu.); vs. Houston Astros (Fri.-Sun.)

The Angels had the rare five-game week in the Beltway. The team should be satisfied splitting with Washington and taking two of three from Baltimore.

Los Angeles opens a 10-game homestand on Monday. This would be an excellent opportunity for the Angels to put some distance between themselves and at least most of their standings stalkers.

However, the first four of those games are against a Texas team that suddenly is back in the playoff picture. The next three are against a Houston team that remains tough despite its recent struggles.

Are the Angels a flash in the pan? We’ll find out over the next seven days.

Minnesota Twins

Overall record (through Sunday): 63-59

Last week: 4-2

This week: At Chicago White Sox (Mon.-Thu., includes doubleheader Monday from May 10 rainout); at Toronto Blue Jays (Fri.-Sun.)

Minnesota started its week by losing two of three against Cleveland. (There’s no shame in that. We’ve all been there.)

The Twins followed it up with a sweep of a likely National League Wild Card team from the West Division. (The Kansas City Royals hope to be there on Thursday.)

The offensive display Minnesota put on against Arizona was astounding. A week after putting up 26 runs in three games against Detroit, the Twins bettered that by a run, while holding the Diamondbacks to just eight.

With eight games against the worst team in the American League before the end of the month, Minnesota should be favorites to hold this spot all by itself entering September.

AL first wild card spot

New York Yankees

Overall record (through Sunday): 66-57

Last week: 5-2

This week: Off Monday; at Detroit Tigers (Tue.-Thu.); vs. Seattle Mariners (Fri.-Sun.)

After struggling for much of August, the Yankees finally put things together last week. Just in time to face the Mets. How convenient.

Four straight narrow wins—all were by two or fewer runs—over their nearest rivals are a welcome sight to Yankees fans. And a not-so-welcome sight to virtually everyone else.

New York was taken back down a couple of pegs when they lost two of three to Boston over the weekend. That makes four losses in six games to the Red Sox spanning the past 10 days.

After having a day off Monday, the Yankees play three games against a reeling Tigers team and three against a resilient-but-unstable Mariners squad. This week could be another good one for the Bronx Bombers.

They better take advantage of it too.

With the Twins and Angels playing superb lately, the Yankees margin for error has shrunk when it comes to keeping hold of the first Wild Card spot. New York’s schedule also toughens up with Cleveland and Boston coming to town next week.

AL Central leader

Cleveland

Overall record (through Sunday): 68-54

Last week: 5-2

This week: Vs. Boston Red Sox (Mon.-Thu.); vs. Kansas City Royals (Fri.-Sun.)

Kansas City Royals

Cleveland strengthened its lead over the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals in the Central Division over the past seven days. That’s pretty easy to do when you take two out of three against each of those teams during the same week.

And those series were both on the road.

This week Cleveland stays at home and welcomes the Red Sox for four games and the Kansas City Royals for three. That is followed up by three games against the Yankees.

It’s a pretty brutal stretch, but the schedule sets up nicely for Cleveland once the calendar turns to September.

The final month of the season begins with four games at the Tigers, four at the White Sox, three versus the Orioles and three versus the Tigers.

Minnesota may close the gap in the coming days, but don’t expect anybody but Cleveland to be celebrating the AL Central Division title this season.

AL East leader

Boston Red Sox

Overall record (through Sunday): 71-52

Last week: 4-2

This week: At Cleveland (Mon.-Thu.); vs. Baltimore Orioles (Fri.-Sun.)

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After dropping a makeup game to Cleveland on Monday, Boston won four of five to close the week against St. Louis and the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox keep rolling right along thanks in large part to deadline addition Eduardo Nunez and top prospect Rafael Devers. It also doesn’t hurt that presumptive AL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale calls Boston home.

At the moment, Boston looks as though it could chase down Houston for the top spot in the American League. In fact, home-field advantage through the ALCS could come down to the final day of the regular season.

Conveniently enough, the Red Sox and Houston play a four-game set in Boston to close out the year. Expect that series to mean something.

Despite holding just a five-game lead on the Yankees, it would be quite stunning for the Red Sox to lose out on the East Division crown. Aside from the aforementioned Houston series, this week’s series in Cleveland and a four-game set at New York starting Aug. 31, Boston has no other series against winning teams.

That’s right. Twelve series remaining and just three against teams that are currently above .500. Houston had better watch out, or it could be playing catchup in late September.

AL West leader

Houston Astros

Overall record (through Sunday): 76-48

Last week: 4-3

This week: Off Monday; vs. Washington Nationals (Tue.-Thu.); at Los Angeles Angels (Fri.-Sun.)

This week will be a good measuring stick for the Astros, who we aren’t sure how to feel about at the moment.

The team has seemed rudderless since what can only be described as a failed transfer deadline. Injuries have been a hinderance all season, but that excuse is wearing thin, particularly with Carlos Correa the only star still on the shelf.

If this team continues to play .500 baseball once Correa returns, it will have been too late to sound the alarm bells.

A division title is almost guaranteed, no matter the finish, but home-field advantage is not. A struggling Houston team against Cleveland in the ALDS might not end well for the Astros.

They need to bank on a strong finish being enough to hold off the Red Sox in the fight for the AL’s top spot, but even that might not protect them from an ALDS upset.

I seem to recall another West Division team getting swept by a Wild Card squad in the ALDS just a few years ago. Who was that? Oh, that’s right, it was the Angels getting sent packing by the Kansas City Royals.

Next: Take a Look at Last Week's Playoff Picture

Houston, you have been warned.