To say that the A's were going to win the AL West at the beginning of the year after they made a bunch of wacky transactions would've been a maddening statement by anyone. I'm crazy, why didn't I say it?
It was the last day of the regular season in baseball and the Texas Rangers were fighting for their division they had thought they locked away months ago. The Oakland Athletics caught up to them last night despite being 5 games out with 9 days to go. Today was the game to decide the AL West for good and the Oakland fans came out rowdy as ever. It was a rough start for the A's as they fell behind 5-1 through 3 innings. A big 4th inning that included an A's rally and a dropped ball by Josh Hamilton gave the A's the lead 7-5. Oakland would take on a few runs and hold the Rangers at bay for the rest of the game and win 12-5. The Oakland A's have done the improbable and taken the AL West on the last day of the regular season.
The Rangers sat on top of the division for 178 days. They needed 179. The A's shock the baseball world as they were 13 games behind Texas on June 30th. To make this kind of turnaround was shocking and exciting. They needed to sweep the Rangers in Oakland to take the West and they did just that. They now join their neighboring San Francisco Giants as a division champion.
The A's will face the Tigers in the ALDS, which was the team that eliminated them in the ALCS in 2006. That was also the year of the last postseason appearance. Meanwhile, the Rangers will have to face the Baltimore Orioles in a one game playoff on Friday.
Congrats to the A's on their division title. Some how the "Mad" Billy Beane has orchestrated another surprise.
P.S. I wouldn't want to face Oakland right now.
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