Reeling Rangers Battle Upstart Orioles In Wild Card Playoff

Friday, the Texas Rangers host the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Wild Card playoff game. This will be the Rangers third consecutive trip to the postseason, but the first time as a wild card team.

After winning the American League West, during the past two seasons, Texas squandered a whopping 13-game lead to the recently crowned AL West champion Oakland Athletics.

The Rangers were in first place every day from April 9, though the final day of the regular season. The A's only found themselves atop the division, after the completion of a three-game sweep of Texas, on the final three days of the season.

For the Orioles, this is their first postseason appearance in 15 years. Back in 1997, Baltimore won the American League East, before losing to the Cleveland Indians in the ALCS.

The winner of this game will take on the New York Yankees in the ALDS, which starts Sunday in the home city of today's winner.

This season's best-of-five divisional series format has the lower seeded team hosting the first two games, with the higher seed playing at home for the remaining three contests.