Game No. 163 Prediction: This could have (should have?) worked out a lot differently

I don't know when I'll get time to reflect on my predictions from the beginning of this baseball season, but needless to say, very few of them seemed to be accurate. As it turns out this year, the regular season concluded with two teams left tied for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. Ironically, these same two teams were also involved in a fairly controversial game way back on April 8 in which home plate umpire Marty Foster called out Tampa batter Ben Zobrist on a Joe Nathan pitch that sure looked to be way low pretty outside. At the time, you could dismiss it as being just one game, but sure enough, here we are with those same to teams tied for the final postseason berth.

Oddly enough, the Cleveland Indians avoided a possible three-way tie for these final two spots by winning one more game this year. Of course, Cleveland was perhaps the recipient of an even more dubious call the following month when famed abomination of an umpire Angel Hernandez actually reviewed a home run call and opted not to make the correct ruling in an Indians game against the Oakland Athletics. Fortunately for the A's, they won the West by a comfortable margin and the game proved to be inconsequential. Still, had the right calls been made (GIFs available here and here), it could very likely be a different playoff scenario—one without a 163rd regular season game, perhaps.

Nonetheless, here we are. And of two teams that I had both making the playoffs this year, only one of the teams playing Monday night is going to live to fight another day.

Texas Rangers over Tampa Bay Rays

I see no point in denying that I'm intent to stick with my pre-season World Series pick all the way to the bitter end. Following a woeful September in which the Rangers essentially choked away contending for a West title they owned for so much of the season, they've regained their form in recent weeks and seem to find ways to win ball games now instead of ways to lose them. Oh, and then there's the return of Nelson Cruz. Tampa had been hot for a while, but the bullpen strikes me as suspect, so even if the Rays jump out to an early lead Monday night, I would not be the least bit surprised of Texas comes storming back. Either way, it's the Rangers who will move on for another single-game elimination meeting on Wednesday night.