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The Kansas City Royals have 11 more games to play in this cursed 2019 season, a season where the Royals haven’t been remotely relevant since the first week of the season, if that. They play the Oakland Athletics for the second in a three-game series. The Athletics, on the other hand, are quite relevant. As the standings, well, stand, the Athletics are at 90 wins and currently hold the top Wild Card spot in the American League.
However, there is a mere 2.5 game gap between the Athletics, the Tampa Bay Rays with the second Wild Card slot, and the Cleveland Indians. The Royals can play spoiler to the A’s by taking a few wins away and making it more interesting.
I am hopeful this happens, mostly because of the plight of the poor Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays won 90 games last year and missed the playoffs. They are at 90 wins right now—an improvement!—and because of a heavily unequal American League, are in danger of losing out on the playoffs yet again.
Kansas City lineup:
Our series in Oakland continues with another late-night contest.#AlwaysRoyal pic.twitter.com/dw3xVzDDdw
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) September 17, 2019
Athletics lineup:
A bounce-back you'll want to be here for.#RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/8X6IfLhyMf
— Oakland A's (@Athletics) September 17, 2019
So come on, Roys, let’s beat the A’s and send Tampa Bay to the playoffs.