On July 19, 2012, the Oakland A’s stood at 47-44. They were eight games back of the first place Texas Rangers in the AL West, and two and a half games behind the Los Angeles Angels for the second Wild Card spot. The AL East-leading New York Yankees were headed to town for a four game set, and their 57-34 record was the best in all of baseball.
On June 14, 2017, the Oakland A’s held a record of 27-38, dead last in the American League and 17 games behind the Houston Astros in the division. They sat six and a half games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card, with a similarly strong Yankees team coming in for a four game series.