Meddling opportunities abound with three games in Detroit, followed by four at home against Kansas City
The Kansas City Royals staved off an attempted sweep by the Tigers with a 5-2 victory at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday.
It wasn't a particularly inspiring series for the Royals, who were smoked 10-1 in the opener, and ran themselves out of a 3-2 loss on Saturday. But Billy Butler showed he's not dead with an RBI single (he's starting the rest of the way), and a two-run Nori Aoki triple covered Ned Yost's butt for one of those Nervous Ned bunt calls that went awry (Alcides Escobar popped it up).
So after all that, here's what the standings look like with a week left to play:
- Tigers: 86-69, --
- Royals: 84-70, 1½ GB
And the wild card race:
The Royals head to Cleveland, where they'll finish a suspended game (they're down 4-2 in the 10th inning). If the likely outcome occurs, they'll be two games back before the original three-game sets start.
Assuming the Royals lose that game, the Tigers will have a shot to lock up the division against the White Sox. It's a slim chance, because it would require both Detroit and Cleveland sweeps, but it's not out of the question.
Should it happen, the anticlimax of the AL Central race will be replaced by a thicker wild card plot. A Cleveland sweep would put them a half-game ahead of the Royals, which would add an extra level of importance to the Royals-Sox series, even while the Tigers can let up.
The most boring outcome would probably include both teams winning two out of three, because that nudges the Tigers closer to an AL Central title, and the Mariners would still be on the outside looking in. A little letup from the Royals before the Sox series would result in the most carnage, especially if Seattle and Oakland cooperate.
This should be a fun week for White Sox baseball. Pity the White Sox aren't in it.
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