If and when Tampa Bay and/or Anaheim catch the Red Sox, a play-in game will be required to determine the wild card. That much we know.
The Rays, by virtue of winning the season series with the Sox, would host Boston next Thursday if those two teams tied. The Red Sox would host the Angels if they finished in a deadlock. If Tampa Bay and Anaheim both surpassed Boston and ended up in a tie, the home-field edge would go to the Rays — they tied their season set 4-4 but Tampa Bay owns the next tiebreaker, intra-division record.
But what happens if all three teams ended the season with identical records? Well, that’s where it gets a little messy.
Basically, they would be designated Team A, Team B and Team C. The first two teams would play one game and the third would play the winner of that game, but would have to do so on the road.
In this scenario, the Rays, by virtue of their position in the tiebreakers, get their choice of being Team A or Team C, thereby choosing to have to win two games at home or just one on the road. With the way they played at Fenway Park (7-2) and Angel Stadium (3-0) this year, it would seem that the latter choice would be more palatable. Even if that wasn’t the case, playing just one game is the best choice.
After Tampa Bay chooses, Boston selects one of the other two options because it won the season series with the Angels, obviously choosing between Team A or Team C, whichever one the Rays deny.
With this in mind, here are the possible permutations next week:
If Tampa Bay chooses to be Team C and Boston is left with choosing Team A:
Thursday, Sept. 29: Anaheim at Boston.
Friday, Sept. 30: Tampa Bay at Anaheim/Boston winner
If Tampa Bay throws a curveball and chooses to be Team A and Boston is left being Team C:
Thursday, Sept. 29: Anaheim at Tampa Bay
Friday, Sept. 30: Boston at Anaheim/Tampa Bay winner
In all likelihood, the Rays would become Team C and the first scenario would play out.
If so, the travel involved for the Angels would be mind-blowing. Consider that the Angels could finish their regular season at home next Wednesday night, then fly to Boston for a game the following evening and then return home to face Tampa Bay the night after that. If they survive all of that, they’d open the division series in New York on Saturday, one day after it is currently scheduled to begin. Coast to coast to coast to coast.
