AL Wild Card standings: Yankees, Royals nearing elimination

Both the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians won Tuesday night to remain atop the pile in the race for two American League Wild Card spots.

The Indians beat the Chicago White Sox, 5-4, and are the only remaining team in the race that still has a shot at winning their division. To do so, they'll have to win out, while the Tigers lose out. The Indians would then have to win a one-game playoff with the Tigers that decided the division winner. The loser of that playoff would be named a Wild Card, as the Tigers clinched their spot in the postseason with a win over the Twins on Tuesday.

The Rays had a statement win against the Yankees, putting New York precipitously close to mathematical elimination. Matt Moore allowed six walks, but held a shutout through five innings. The Rays' bullpen kept the Yankees off the board while the offense scored seven runs, including three in the first inning alone.

Texas was the only other team to keep pace with the two Wild Card leaders, beating the Astros, 3-2. Houston maintained a 1-0 lead through the first third of the game, but three consecutive one-run innings earned the Rangers a victory. Texas is keeping pressure on Cleveland, sitting just one game behind the Indians.

A 4-0 loss to the Mariners means the Royals will need to overcome big odds to make the postseason. Kansas City is now four games behind the Indians with both squads having just five games remaining. It would take a large amount of luck for the Royals to earn a playoff spot at this point.

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