MLB: AL Wild Card update; Kansas City Royals end 29-year drought

It’s been a long wait, but the Kansas City Royals are back in the MLB playoffs. The Royals beat the Chicago White Sox, 3-1, and punched the team’s first ticket to October baseball since Kansas City won the 1985 World Series. The Royals, with a trip to the postseason ensured, now set sights on Kansas City’s first-ever American League Central championship, as they sit one game behind the Detroit Tigers, who lost 11-4 to the Minnesota Twins.

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There is one remaining Wild Card spot left to claim, although neither the Royals nor the Tigers have ensured anything more than being the away team in the Wild Card game. The Oakland Athletics stopped their skid, beating the Texas Rangers, 6-2. Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners remained alive with a 4-3 victory over the already-in Los Angeles Angels, who also have already clinched home-field advantage over the AL East champion Baltimore Orioles, though the Mariners’ elimination number is now at one.

The Cleveland Indians defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 1-0, but because Cleveland’s elimination number was at one entering the evening’s slate of games, the victories by the other contenders eliminated the Indians from contention.

Standings:
(‘x’ indicates clinched playoff berth)

Detroit Tigers(x): 89-71
Kansas City Royals(x): 88-72, 1.0 GB in AL Central, + 1.0 in Wild Card
Oakland Athletics: 87-73, –
Seattle Mariners: 85-75, 2.0 GB, E#1

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