Manager Ned Yost says he is not too concerned by the long odds faced by the wildcard entrants as the Kansas City Royals return to the Major League Baseball playoffs for the first time in 29 years.
The Royals host the Oakland Athletics in the American League wildcard game on Tuesday at Kaufman Stadium.
"We are ready for the challenge ahead. There have been teams that have won the World Series from the wildcard game and they know that," Yost said.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, who snapped a long postseason drought last year, host the San Francisco Giants in the National League wildcard game at PNC Park on Wednesday.
Kansas City ended the year 89-73, just one game behind the AL Central Division champion Detroit Tigers.
While the Royals are appearing in their first postseason game in three decades, the A's are back in the playoffs for the third straight year and for the 26th time in franchise history.
Only the New York Yankees (51), Los Angeles Dodgers (28) and St Louis Cardinals (27) have been to the playoffs more.
The A's and Royals have met once in the playoffs - in the 1981 AL division series, which Oakland swept 3-0. The Royals won five of the seven regular season matchups this year.
Tuesday's winner will face the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels in the playoffs beginning on Thursday.
Thanks to superb pitching the Royals won 89 games this season, the most since they claimed 92 in 1989.
Kansas City's bullpen trio of Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis is truly a formidable force, having combined for a 1.28 ERA and 258 strikeouts in 205 1/3 innings in the regular season.
That makes life a whole lot easier for Tuesday's starter James Shields, who ended the year with 14 wins and eight losses with a 3.21 ERA. The Royals won four of the right-hander's five starts in September.
"This is what it's all about," said Shields. "This is what playoff baseball is all about. You've got to push aside some of your aches and pains and go after it."
Oakland is fortunate to be where they are as they were one of the worst teams in American baseball after July 31.
Starting with a series loss in Kansas City from August 11-14, the A's dropped 30 of their last 46 games. But thanks to a remarkable first half, they ended the year 88-74.
Oakland's post-all-star break winning percentage of .433 is the lowest in MLB history for a team that reached the playoffs.
"We went through some real challenges this year, but those things can make you tougher, too," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said.
Meanwhile, the Pirates are getting used to playoff baseball again after their own lengthy drought was snapped last season when they returned to the postseason for the first time since 1992.
Their run ended with a National League Division Series loss to St. Louis, but the Pirates are back in the playoffs after an 88-74 finish that nearly nabbed them an NL Central title.
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