KC Royals to solve final MLB Playoffs mysteries today

Remember this time last season, when the 106-loss KC Royals had to win their final game to escape becoming the worst team in franchise history? They beat the Yankees to accomplish that task, but still tied the club record for most losses in a single season.

Well ... what a huge, huge difference a year makes.

Kansas City closes out its regular season today with a 2:20 p.m. CDT contest at Atlanta, but rather than heading their separate ways for the winter following the last out, the Royals have more baseball to play. Although they dropped the first two games of this season-concluding three-game series with the Braves, Baltimore's Friday night whipping of Minnesota gave the Royals one of three American League Wild Cards and thrust them into the playoffs for the first time in nine years.

Two important things, though, remain unresolved about this remarkable club's return to the postseason — the Royals still don't know who and where they'll play when their AL Wild Card Series begins Tuesday.

Those mysteries will be solved this afternoon.

Today will determine KC's Wild Card Series destination and opponent

The Royals enter today's play knowing they'll begin the playoffs as the league's No. 2 or No. 3 Wild Card. Exactly which one they'll be at the end of the day depends on how they fare against the Braves and how the Tigers, whose lead for the No. 2 slot is one game with one game left, do against the White Sox.

And that's pretty important. The second Wild Card team will meet the top Wild Card Orioles in Baltimore Tuesday, while the third Wild Card club travels to Houston to play the AL West champion Astros. If Kansas City wins and Detroit loses today, they'll both end the season with identical 86-76 records, but the Royals will get the second Wild Card — and a date with the O's — because they own the tie-breaker over the Tigers. But if KC and Detroit both lose, or Detroit wins, the Tigers will retain their single-game Wild Card advantage. and Kansas City will head for Houston.

This afternoon is also important for Atlanta's MLB Playoffs chances

While Kansas City plays for the best seed available today, the Braves' battle for a Wild Card spot of its own continues. They're guarding a slim one-game lead over the Mets and Diamondbacks for the second National League Wild Card — San Diego has already clinched the first — and have a doubleheader to play against New York Monday to make up for the two games the clubs lost to the weather earlier in the week.

But the Braves can clinch one of the two remaining NL Wild Cards if they beat Kansas City, or Arizona loses to the Padres, this afternoon.

The KC Royals have altered their pitching plans for today

Clinching a playoff spot Friday forced a pitching dilemma on Kansas City: should the club leave its starting rotation on normal schedule and pitch Seth Lugo Saturday and Cole Ragans today, or hold them back to make them available to start the first two Wild Card games?

To get Lugo some work, Royals manager Matt Quatraro allowed him to start Saturday but limited him to two innings; the right-hander who leads the Royals in wins with 16 threw 36 pitches, struck out three, and didn't allow Atlanta a run. He also lowered his ERA to an even 3.00.

But Ragans, 11-9 with a 3.14 ERA, won't face the Braves. Alec Marsh will start instead, putting his 8-9, 4.65 record up against Atlanta right-hander Charlie Morton, who's also 8-9 but at 4.08 has a lower ERA.

What lineup is Matt Quatraro using this afternoon?

After resting Bobby Witt Jr. and others Saturday, Quatraro is fielding his regulars today:

Who's playing for the Braves?

Here's manager Brian Snitker's lineup:

How can KC Royals fans watch or listen to today's game?

Both Bally Sports Kansas City and Bally Sports Southeast will televise the contest; streaming options for those who follow the Royals can be found here. Kansas City's 96.5 FM The Fan and the many affiliate stations of the Royals Radio Network have the broadcast.

More KC Royals content from Kings of Kauffman