Wild Card Standings 2016: Seattle Mariners Blow Chance At Wild Card Spot, Kansas City Royals On Fire

2016 Wild Card standings have shifted all season, but the Seattle Mariners blew a golden opportunity against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon (August 21). The Mariners led the Brewers 6-3 heading into the ninth inning but ended up having reliever Tom Wilhelmsen blow the game. The 7-6 loss cost the Mariners a chance not just to move up in the American League Wild Card race, but also at making up a game in the AL West standings.

The two leaders in the current AL Wild Card standings are the Boston Red Sox (69-54) and Baltimore Orioles (67-56). The Orioles have lost three straight games to the Houston Astros, including a loss earlier in the day on Sunday. This has opened the door for teams chasing the Orioles in the wild card race, including the Seattle Mariners. Had the Mariners won on Sunday, the teams would have been tied for the second Wild Card slot in the American League. Blowing the game in the ninth inning could stick with this team for a while.

American League Wild Card Standings

Boston Red Sox (69-54)
Baltimore Orioles (67-56)

Seattle Mariners (1 game back)
Detroit Tigers (2-and-a-half games back)
Houston Astros (3-and-a-half games back)
Kansas City Royals (3-and-a-half games back)
New York Yankees (4 games back)

Due to the Seattle Mariners blowing a shot at moving into a tie for the second Wild Card slot, the Mariners aren’t the hottest team in baseball any longer. That title now belongs to the Kansas City Royals, as the team has won eight-straight games. The Royals have improved from 56-60 to 64-60 in just over a week, moving the team right into the race for one of the American League Wild Card spots. There is still a lot of work ahead for the Royals, as they still trail the Baltimore Orioles by 3-and-a-half games, but the destination is now in sight.

As for the action over in the National League Wild Card standings, the St. Louis Cardinals (66-57) have nearly caught up to the two teams leading the NL West. The L.A. Dodgers (68-55) and San Francisco Giants (68-55) are currently tied for the West and for the first Wild Card spot. That tie will be addressed on Sunday evening, as the Giants are wrapping up a series against the New York Mets. If the Giants win, they will lead the West, but if they lose, they become the first NL Wild Card team (for now).

Both the Dodgers and Giants have lost six of their last 10 games, providing an opportunity for the Cardinals to make up three games in the standings in that time period. The Cardinals now control the second NL Wild Card slot, but trail the West teams by just two games in the race for the first Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, two other teams are in hot pursuit, as the Miami Marlins (65-59) and Pittsburgh Pirates (62-59) still have high hopes of making the NL Playoffs.

National League Wild Card Standings

LA Dodgers (68-55)
San Francisco Giants (68-55)
St. Louis Cardinals (66-57)

Miami Marlins (1-and-a-half games back)
Pittsburgh Pirates (3 games back)
New York Mets (5 games back)
Colorado Rockies (6-and-a-half games back)

There is still a lot of time in the 2016 Major League Baseball season for things to get shaken up in the standings. The Seattle Mariners are working hard to make it a three-team race for the two American League Wild Card spots, while the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants could be battling for those two NL playoff spots until the final weekend of the season. For now, though, the 2016 Wild Card standings are controlled by the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles in the American League and the St. Louis Cardinals and the NL West second-place team in the National League.

[Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images]