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The Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays are deadlocked for second place in the A.L. Wild Card. They are fighting for a final spot as, essentially, the winner will have to play two one-game eliminations before getting to the ALDS against the Boston Red Sox. Can't watch the game, follow the score as we bring you a live blog with play-by-play and live coverage of this game.
The Rays and Rangers finished with a 91-71 record in the 2013 regular season. The Rangers finished on a red hot tear, winning seven consecutive games. Overall, the Rays were hot too, but they could not close out the season as they had control of their Wild Card future. Had the Rays won two out of three from the last place Toronto Blue Jays, they would have clinched the Wild Card and instead of playing Game 163, they would have been preparing their pitching rotation for the A.L. Wild Card Game.
However, if there's any team that's calm, cool and collected enough to pull off two one-game playoff victories, it's the Rays. They are always considered a young team that barely gets by, so the pressure is never on them. Joe Maddon is not under the same scrutiny as Ron Washington.
Maddon, the Rays' manager, can try different things and if it works, he looks like a genius. If it fails, it's simply justified because of the financial shortcomings tied to managing the Rays. Washington and the Rangers are not restricted financially, so how could a team, with their caliber of stars, slip terribly from first after cruising through the beginning of the season.
For Washington, it's almost World Series or bust. Last season, the Rangers blew their lead in the A.L. West and found themselves playing in the A.L. Wild Card Game against the Baltimore Orioles, which they ultimately lost. It was a debacle and many wondered if Washington's tenure with the Rangers was up. However, Washington was back again and the Rangers were winning, until the Oakland Athletics got their act together and simply had a hard time losing in the middle of the year.
Check out this live blog by refreshing the page and scrolling to the top of the article for all the latest updates. This is a must-watch game for Rays, Rangers, Red Sox and baseball fans around the world.
