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00:00We start in the American League, Joe, by looking at the AL playoff picture.
00:07The Yankees need one win to claim the American League East.
00:11They have built up a hefty lead over the O's, who are four games below .500 since the All-Star
00:17break.
00:1892-64 for New York.
00:20Not just a big lead, Joe, for the Yanks over the Orioles.
00:24Also a pretty substantial difference now in front of the Guardians.
00:28We've got a two-and-a-half game lead for the top overall seed in the American League.
00:32The Astros had an opportunity like the Phillies did in the National League East to claim the
00:37American League West divisional crown last night.
00:40Bryce Miller, seven innings of two-hit baseball, shutting out the Astros.
00:44They did end up scoring one run, but Seattle keeps the hope alive ever so slightly in the
00:50American League West.
00:52Those are the divisional standings.
00:54Now let's get to the really good stuff.
00:56It's the wild card race.
00:58The Orioles, all right, they're not going to win the American League East, but still,
01:02they have a four-game lead for the top wild card spot.
01:05The Royals have lost seven straight.
01:08The Tigers are playing out of their mind since August 22nd.
01:13Those two American League Central teams are tied for the final two AL wild card spots.
01:18The Twins on a slide.
01:21They are now a full game outside of the wild card standings.
01:25And the Mariners only back by a game and a half, even if the American League West seems
01:30a little bit out of reach.
01:33And boy, it got real interesting over the last week and a half, Ben, mostly because
01:38the Royals have fell apart.
01:41And now all of a sudden, with the way Detroit's been playing, Minnesota, the Mariners now,
01:46can they win enough games and get some help here?
01:49I really thought it was pretty solidified there that we were going to just get the Orioles,
01:56the Royals, and the Twins, but anything but that can happen.
02:00It might look totally different by the end of the week here, Ben.
02:03It's kind of crazy.
02:04And, Joe, that is the crazy thing, and you are completely correct in that at least estimation.
02:09At the all-star break, even in the few weeks after, by the time we got to the middle of
02:14August, it seemed pretty determined.
02:16The Red Sox were struggling.
02:18The Mariners were not going to catch the Astros who were surging in the American League West.
02:23That in some form or fashion, the team that lost out on the American League East would
02:28be the top wildcard team, and it would be the Twins and the Royals, in some order, taking
02:34the final two spots.
02:35Minnesota has struggled mightily.
02:38Detroit has been great, and KC is holding on for dear life as they have lost seven in
02:45a row.
02:46So, let's look at those playoff odds available on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
02:51Exactly a week ago, I bet the Tigers, at plus 140, to make the American League postseason,
02:57you could have got them closer to plus 700 a few days prior to that.
03:02Now, where the odds are in the American League, Detroit is minus 405, Minnesota, minus 138,
03:10Kansas City, minus 178.
03:14The Tigers have the best place of the American League Central Trio to get to the postseason.
03:21It's kind of, it really is kind of crazy what's been going on here.
03:25The Royals could very well, if they can't turn this thing around, Ben, this is just
03:33heartbreak city here for Kansas City, but I do think they should have enough to be able
03:38to close it out down the stretch here this week.
03:40I'm banking on them making the playoffs.