MLB Rankings: Greatest Hits in Week-25
10. Mark Canha, Oakland Athletics, 39 percent
Leading off in this week’s MLB Rankings, the Athletics lead the American League wild-card race largely due to their performance in games such as the one contested Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals in Oakland.
Based purely on performance, the Riyals shouldn’t have given Oakland much of a fight. Kansas City entered the game with only a slim hope of avoiding 100 losses on the season, and with the American League’s third-highest staff earned run average.
On this night, however, Danny Duffy and four Royals relievers battled Homer Bailey and three A’s relievers to a scoreless draw through 10 innings. Duffy allowed just two base hits and just three baserunners through his seven innings of work.
All the Royals needed was one well-timed base hot, and finally, in the top of the 11th, they got their chance when Jorge Soler, the American League’s home run leader, faced J.B. Wendelken with the bases full and two out.
But Wendelken maintained the suspense by whiffing Soler on a 1-2 pitch, sending the game into the bottom of the 11th.
In the bottom of that same inning, Jurickson Profar nudged the window of Oakland opportunity open by drawing a leadoff base on balls against Jesse Hahn, the sixth Royals pitcher. Hahn struck out Marcus Semien and Matt Chapman, but when Profar stole second the Royals elected to walk Matt Olson and take their chances with Canha.
In retrospect, it was the wrong move. With a 1-2 count, the right-handed hitting Canha punched a double down the right-field line to score Profar with the game’s first, last and only run. The victory allowed the Athletics to maintain what at the time was a two-game advantage over the Rays for the AL’s first wild-card spot.