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After a delightful midday game that featured some moments of stress but an altogether thoroughly satisfying end to the season series with Houston, Mariners fans are left with a gap in our evening. Don't you dare try and fill it with outdoor activities or time with your loved ones, however, because the teams in front of the M’s are about to play. First off, here are the standings as of this moment (3:45ish PT).
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Also helpful is this chart of the remaining schedules for all the playoff hopefuls, via Tim Booth.
Up to minute AL wild card standings/schedules after #Mariners 12-4 win over Houston.
— Tim Booth (@ByTimBooth) September 28, 2016
Seattle 1.5 GB. 4 to go: pic.twitter.com/pEETu4MYRK
The two games of import are Baltimore at Toronto (4:07 PT) and Cleveland at Detroit (4:10 PT).
Baltimore will have their longtime stalwart Chris Tillman on the mound, who struggled mightily in his last start and didn't make it past the second inning. Toronto will send out Francisco Liriano, because what is dead may never die.
FiveThirtyEight Projection: 53% Toronto.
Cleveland at Detroit features a battered Ohio team that, while still strong, chose to rest many starters yesterday. Tonight they face Michael Fulmer, the likely AL Rookie of the Year, and will roll out Zach McAllister, who has been slightly above average (FIP- 94) in just over 50 innings this year.
FiveThirtyEight Projection: 61% Detroit.
Go Toronto. Go Cleveland.
And above all, Go M’s.