The truth you won't get anywhere else: Rays-Athletics AL Wild Card Game Preview

(American League Wild Card Game 2019 Logo; Sportslogos.net)

The Tampa Bay Rays will face the Oakland Athletics in tonight's American League winner-take-all Wild Card Game. The winner will face the Houston Astros in the division series.

The Rays scored 769 runs and gave up 656 during the regular season. They needed to score a minimum of 818 runs and the Rays' opponents needed to score a minimum of 930 runs this year to win every regular season game.

Tampa Bay also would have had to score 1,052 runs to win every regular season game this year.

In three out of six-plus months, the Rays needed to score less runs (a minimum amount of runs) than their opponents to win.

Tampa Bay was 17-8 in September.

The Athletics scored 845 runs and gave up 680 during the regular season. They needed to score a minimum of 842 runs and the A's opponents needed to score a minimum of 1,007 runs this year to win every regular season game.

Oakland also would have had to score 1,125 runs this year to win every regular season game.

In five out of six-plus months, the A's needed to score less runs (a minimum amount of runs) than their opponents to win.

Oakland was 19-8 in September. They were 18-8 if you don't count a game that was suspended.

So the Athletics should win tonight if it is based on everything that happened during the regular season.