2013 American League Wild Card tie-breaker game
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| Date | September 30, 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Rangers Ballpark in Arlington | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| City | Arlington, Texas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Umpires | Tim Welke (crew chief), Jeff Kellogg, Bruce Dreckman, Chris Guccione, Tom Hallion, Ron Kulpa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 42,796 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Television | TBS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TV announcers | Brian Anderson, John Smoltz and Joe Simpson | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Radio | ESPN | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Radio announcers | Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2013 American League Wild Card tie-breaker game was a one-game extension to Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2013 regular season, played between the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays to determine the second participant in the 2013 American League (AL) Wild Card Game. It was played at the Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 30, 2013. The Rays defeated the Rangers, 5–2, and advanced to the AL Wild Card Game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field, which they won 4–0; the Rangers failed to qualify for the postseason.
The tie-breaker game was necessary after both teams finished the season with win–loss records of 91–71 and thus tied for the second Wild Card position in the AL. The Rangers were awarded home field for the game, as they won the regular season series against the Rays, 4–3. The game was televised on TBS.[1][2][3] It was the fourth tie-breaker in MLB history for a Wild Card spot, although it was the first when MLB used the format of two Wild Card teams playing in a Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2021. The tie-breaker counted as the 163rd regular season game for both teams, with all events in the game added to regular season statistics.
In Major League Baseball from 2012 to 2021, the two teams with the best record in each league who do not win a division played in the Wild Card Game. A number of teams were in competition for these Wild Card spots, along with their divisional competition. The Rangers spent over 80 days leading the American League West and shared the lead as late as September 4.[4] The Rays spent only a few days leading the American League East, but held a share of the lead as late as August 24.[5] The Cleveland Indians did not lead the American League Central after July 2 but remained close throughout the season and ultimately finished just a single game back of the Central champion Detroit Tigers.[6]
Although other teams including the Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees had vied for a Wild Card spot, the Indians, Rangers, and Rays all remained in contention until the end of the season. Entering the final day of the scheduled regular season, on which all three teams played, the Indians had a 91–70 record while both the Rangers and Rays had 90–71 records.[2][3] These were the best non-division-leading records in the American League.[7] Thus, the possibility existed (had the Indians lost and the Rays and Rangers won) for a three-way tie for the two Wild Card spots, which would have required several tie-breaker games to settle.[8] However, all three teams won, leaving the Indians definitively in the Wild Card Game at 92–70 and the Rays and Rangers tied at 91–71 for the second spot.[9]
The Indians finished the season strong, winning their last 10 games to clinch their wild card berth.[6] The Rays were 16–12 in September, winning 8 of their last 10.[5] The Rangers were just 12–15 in September, although they also won eight of their final 10 games.[4] The Rangers was awarded home-field advantage for the tie-breaker game, as they had won the season series against the Rays 4–3.[10][9][3]
