A three-way tie in AL West would clinch playoff spot for Angels
Angels’ Albert Pujols reacts after scoring a run during the fifth inning Tuesday. That’s Oakland’s Pat Venditte in the background.
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As if the Angels’ wild-card tiebreaker scenarios were not crazy enough, here’s another bizarre but increasingly possible way to end the regular season: three teams tied atop the American League West.
That would guarantee the Angels a playoff spot -- much to the chagrin of the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers lead the AL West by two games over the Angels, 2 1/2 games over the Astros. If all three teams win Wednesday -- or all three teams lose Wednesday -- that would set up a scenario in which the three teams tie for the AL West title.
The Angels close the season with four games at Texas. The Astros close with three games at Arizona. If the Angels win three of four in Texas, and if the Astros sweep the Diamondbacks, that would leave the Angels, Houston and Texas with the same record.
The Angels would hold the tiebreaker, as the team with the best record against the other two teams. So they would get to rest Monday, while the Astros and Rangers play an elimination game.
The winner would advance to play the Angels on Tuesday. The winner of Tuesday’s game would be the AL West champion. The loser would advance to the wild-card playoff game, against the New York Yankees.
And, yes, the Minnesota Twins are still alive. Don’t ask.
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