The American League Wild Card race is reaching the home stretch. With less than 10% of the season remaining the 162 game season marathon has tuned into a 14-game sprint.
With 2.5 weeks left, the Oakland Athletics (87-60) lead the Tampa Bay Rays (87-61) by half a game, with the Cleveland Indians (86-61) a half game behind the Rays.
At this point the loss column is what matters most. The Athletics have played one fewer game than the Rays and Indians, but they have the fewest losses. You can make up wins, but you can’t catch a team in the loss column without help.