The chances are slim. OK, very slim.
But the Tampa Bay Rays host Oakland in a weekend series beginning Friday with their last chance at making a run at the Athletics for an American League wild-card spot.
This is a three-game series between the two hottest teams in the league, but an Oakland loss in Baltimore on Thursday night left the idle Rays eight games behind the A's, who trail the idle New York Yankees for the top wild-card position by 1 1/2 games. The A's also fell 3 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros atop the AL West.