A’s clinch wild card with win over Rangers
The A’s have finally made it into the postseason after a two-month free fall nearly knocked them out of the playoffs for good.
Rick Yeatts
The 10th and final major league playoff team is set. The Oakland Athletics punched their ticket to the 2014 postseason on Sunday afternoon with a 4-0 win over the Texas Rangers in Arlington, clinching an American League wild card spot.
Sonny Gray struck out five and only allowed six hits in his second career shutout and his 14th win of the season, needing just 103 pitches to do so. Josh Reddick was 2-for-4 with a triple in the win for Oakland, and Jed Lowrie added a two-run single in the ninth inning for some insurance.
With the win, Oakland finished 88-74 on the season, assured of finishing ahead of the Seattle Mariners (86-75, entering play Sunday) for the final AL wild card spot.
This is the third consecutive postseason trip for the A’s, who won the American League West in both 2012 and 2013. Oakland was in first place for 140 days in 2014, including tied atop the division as late as Aug. 25. But an 11-21 stretch sank Oakland’s division hopes.
The A's will play the Kansas City Royals in the American League Wild Card Game in Kansas City at 8:07 p.m. on Tuesday, which will be televised by TBS, with Ernie Johnson calling the game and joined by analysts Ron Darling and Cal Ripken.
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