BALTIMORE -- Buck Showalter admits he checks out the scoreboard. He knows his players are looking, too. But the Baltimore Orioles manager has a solution for sorting out an American League wild-card race that gets tougher to figure out every day.
Win.
"We lose, I don't pay much attention to what other teams do," Showalter said as his club sits in the middle of five teams separated by two games for the AL's final playoff spot.
2013: Day-by-day schedule
STANDINGS: Wild card race
In this wild-card fray, the Texas Rangers are comfortably positioned for one of two spots, should they fail to catch the Oakland Athletics in the AL West.
The second berth is another matter.
The Orioles, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals all are within striking distance of the Tampa Bay Rays, whose recent 14-22 nose dive created an opening for the field.
The race tightened Wednesday afternoon when Kansas City won for the second time in three games at Cleveland, moving the Royals to within two games of the Rays but with the Indians, Yankees and Orioles all in between.
"You realize we're playing a different game once we get to September," Showalter said. "There's a sense of urgency."
The five teams have 16 to 18 games left, but the only head-to-head series match Cleveland at Kansas City, Sept. 16-18; Baltimore at Tampa Bay, Sept. 20-23; and Tampa Bay at New York, Sept. 24-26.
Keeping track of everyone won't be easy.
"I don't want the scoreboard," Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy said. "But everybody's different. I can keep up just listening to my teammates who do."
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A close-up look at the five jockeying for position.
Baltimore Orioles
Where they stand: Now behind the Yankees and Rays, 1 1/2 games back of Tampa Bay.
Their road ahead: Their finishing schedule is the toughest among the contenders based on opponents' winning percentage, though they get to stay exclusively in the AL East. But they're 28-30 against the division. Four games against the Rays mean the Orioles control their situation, but they also have six against the first-place Red Sox.
Why they'll get there: The Orioles are the only AL East team with a winning record against Boston, and the final three games at home against the Red Sox could find Boston resting players. They're on pace for a major league record for fewest errors and combined with a pitching staff that has been on a strikeout binge lately (10 in four consecutive games this week), they're making teams earn their runs.
Why they won't: Perhaps the least consistent pitching staff of the contenders, nobody in the majors has allowed more home runs. Closer Jim Johnson leads the majors with nine blown saves, so no lead is safe.
Ramifications: Last year, they made baseball relevant again in Baltimore. This year, they've learned to deal with something new — expectations. Manager Buck Showalter has his program in place, and a second consecutive year of contending makes Baltimore relevant to players (read: free agents) again.
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Cleveland Indians
Where they stand: 1 1/2 games behind the Rays for the final spot.
Their road ahead: This is the schedule to die for — or shrivel up with if the Indians somehow don't manage to take advantage. Other than three games next week in Kansas City, the rest of the Indians' remaining 17 games are against the White Sox, Twins and Astros, the AL's three worst teams.
Why they'll get there: Start with that schedule. The addition of rookie Danny Salazar has helped an improving pitching rotation post a 3.34 ERA since the All-Star break, second only to the Royals.
Why they won't: Consider the schedule again. Without any game against the teams ahead of them, every time the Indians win, they still need at least a couple of the contenders to lose. Without a particularly hot finish, they'll still need significant help.
Ramifications: The Indians still can't deal with the Tigers and make a real run at a division title, but they've avoided a repeat of recent second-half collapses. Manager Terry Francona has added to the credibility and the clubhouse atmosphere, but emerging talents such as Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley have more to do with a future that looks bright to jaundiced Cleveland fans for the first time since they came within a game of the World Series in 2007.
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Kansas City Royals
Where they stand: Two games out of wild card.
Their road ahead: A series this weekend in Detroit might appear daunting, but Kansas City has a 9-7 record against the Central Division leaders. The Royals must survive that series, followed by their last two home series — Cleveland and Texas.
Why they'll get there: The shorter the time span, the more pitching can carry a team. The Royals lead the AL in ERA and have a shutdown closer in Greg Holland — third in the league with 42 saves. And they finish the season against the Mariners, the AL's worst hitting team, and a last-place White Sox team hitting .225 in September.
Why they won't: Inexperience usually catches up with newcomers to the race. The Royals have the youngest offensive group in the league, and none of their regulars have postseason experience.
Ramifications: Becoming a legitimate contender was crucial for general manager Dayton Moore. The Royals have been waiting for their young offensive talent to blossom and went all-in this year by trading top prospect Wil Myers for needed pitching. At the least, Moore probably has bought more time with the franchise's best season since 1994.
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Tampa Bay Rays
Where they stand: Lead race for second wild card by one game; trail Rangers by 2 1/2games for first wild card.
Their road ahead: Only contender without a day off the rest of the season, they control their situation by virtue of their lead for the last spot and by having one series each with the Orioles and Yankees. Only games against sub-.500 teams are on road — this weekend at Minnesota and the season ender at Toronto.
Why they'll get there: It's September. They're 36-21 from Sept. 1 on the last two seasons, and pitching usually is the reason. This season's staff has allowed four or fewer hits in 20 games, the most in the AL.
Why they won't: Even the Rays pitching staff can't overcome what the offense hasn't done for much of the second half. Their 3.2 runs per game since Aug. 1 is the worst in the majors and has resulted in a 14-22 swoon after a 23-4 stretch. Evan Longoria better have more magic up his sleeve.
Ramifications: A playoff berth always is a boon to a team that lives on the edge financially. They only have $15 million in payroll committed for next year, but that doesn't include arbitration-eligible David Price, Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Joyce, among others.
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New York Yankees
Where they stand: One game behind Rays.
MORE: Jeter's season is over
Their road ahead: The next-to-last series at home against the Rays is the one they want to be relevant. It's sandwiched between series against a couple of last-place teams — the Giants and Astros. But the San Francisco and Tampa Bay series are the only remaining home games.
Why they'll get there: The offense showed up, starting with the acquisition of Alfonso Soriano on July 26 and the return of Alex Rodriguez on Aug. 5. The Yankees have batted .265 with a .418 slugging percentage since Aug. 1, compared with .241 and .368 before.
Why they won't: The pitching staff isn't dominant enough, especially with an infield defense that lacks range. CC Sabathia's 4.82 ERA is the highest of his career, leaving Hiroki Kuroda the closest thing to an ace. And they still live for the home run, going 23-44 when they don't hit one.
Ramifications: It's amazing they've gotten this far with virtually no contribution from Derek Jeter or Mark Teixeira, a patchwork lineup for much of the season and the A-Rod soap opera. There will be more turmoil in the offseason as Rodriguez's suspension situation gets sorted out plus the team's intention to shrink the payroll. Bottom line: Business as usual in New York.
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