A’s, Tigers, Cards earn playoff spots
Sonny Gray pitched Oakland into baseball’s last playoff spot, shutting out King Felix this October.
David Price delivered the AL Central crown to Detroit, St. Louis scratched ace Adam Wainwright after wrapping up the NL Central.
Going into Sunday’s first pitch, not a single post- season matchup was set — plus the possibility of three tiebreakers loomed. Hours later, the brackets were all settled in Game 162.
Gray blanked Texas 4- 0, helping the shaky Athletics hold off Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners for the second AL wild- card slot. The A’s will open this year’s post- season at Kansas City on Tuesday night, with Jon Lester facing the Royals’ James Shields.
The Royals went 5- 2 against the A’s this season — both losses were to Lester.
“I’m glad we can kind of put the regular season behind us, start this new journey right now,” Kansas City first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “It’s going to be a fun experience.”
For Oakland slugger Adam Dunn, it will be his first playoff appearance.
He’s been in 2,001 games, the most by any active major- leaguer without reaching the post- season.
“I played scenarios of this day out in my head probably a thousand times,” Dunn said.
“Now the pressure’s off, and now we just go out there and play,” added Gray, the 24- year- old right- hander who struck out five with no walks in his second career complete- game shutout, both this season against Texas.
“That was a huge,” said Lester ( 16- 11), the mid- season addition who pitched in two World Series for Boston. “That’s one of the more impressive games I got to watch in a while.”
On Wednesday night, Madison Bumgarner and San Francisco visit Edinson Volquez and Pittsburgh in the NL wild- card game.
The Pirates lost their chance to
Now the pressure’s off, and now we just go out there and play
OAKLAND PITCHER SONNY GRAY
catch the Cardinals with a 4- 1 loss to Cincinnati. No matter, they’ll be back home at PNC Park, where they won the wild- card game last season.
“I expect it to be like last year: So loud you can’t hear the ball off the bat,” said Josh Harrison, who narrowly lost the NL batting title to Canada’s Justin Morneau of the Colorado Rockies.
Both of the best- of- five AL division series begin Thursday. It’ll be the wild- card winner at the Los Angeles Angels and the Tigers at Baltimore. In NL openers Friday, the wild card plays at Washington and the Cardinals are at the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Fortunately, we weathered the storm and the guys just put their nose down,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “I’m real proud of the guys.”
“We know Pittsburgh had a good run, but we had a better one,” Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina added.
Price, acquired by Detroit in late July to win big games, stopped Minnesota 3- 0. The Tigers needed a victory to close out the Royals for the division title.
“On a day where we needed an enormous outing after giving up 20- something runs over the previous two, he stepped right up. He showed why he’s a true No. 1,” first- year Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.
“It felt good to be able to step up,” Price said in Detroit’s jubilant clubhouse after the game. “These guys have done a great job of making me feel a part of the team, especially in the locker- room and the dugout.”