A totally real, non-fake, and 100% doable way for the Angels to make the 2018 playoffs

Current state of Angels: 64-68, 15 GB

Current state of A’s: 79-53, 0 GB

Current state of Mariners: 74-57, 4.5 GB

Current state of Rays: 70-61, 8.5 GB

The first stretch (until Sept. 17)

The Angels

1 vs. COL (SWEEP), 4 at HOU (SPLIT), 3 at TEX (SWEEP), 3 at CHW (SWEEP), 3 vs. TEX (SWEEP), 4 vs. SEA (3 of 4)

Checkpoint on Sept. 17: 79-71 (6 GB)

What this means: it means a 12-1 record from Sept. 3 through Sept. 16, albeit against cellar-dwellers and Seattle.

The A’s

2 at HOU (SWEPT), 4 vs. SEA (SPLIT), 3 vs. NYY (SWEPT), 3 vs. TEX (2 of 3), 3 at BAL (2 of 3), 3 at TB (SWEPT)

Checkpoint on Sept. 17: 85-65 (0 GB)

What this means: losing to the teams they might actually lose to (and dropping one against Baltimore).

The Mariners

2 at SD (SPLIT), 4 at OAK (SPLIT), 3 vs. BAL (SWEEP), 3 vs. NYY (SWEPT), 2 vs. SD (SWEEP), 4 at LAA (1 of 4)

Checkpoint on Sept. 17: 83-66 (1.5 GB)

What this means: being pretty average (basically Mariners-esque), and dropping one to the Padres, whom the Angels didn’t even lose to.

The Rays

2 at ATL (SPLIT), 3 at CLE (1 of 3), 3 at TOR (SWEEP), 3 vs. BAL (SWEEP), 3 vs. CLE (1 of 3), 3 vs. OAK (SWEEP)

Checkpoint on Sept. 17: 82-66 (2 GB)

What this means: Cleveland keeps up their solid baseball and takes 4 of 6 from the Rays, and Tampa Bay comes together to sweep Oakland.

Basically, if the Angels can somehow get to 6 or so games back of the A’s with 4 series to play, they have a shot (2 of the last 4 series against Oakland).

The rest of the way

The Angels

3 at OAK (SWEEP), 3 at HOU (2 of 3), 3 vs. TEX (SWEEP), 3 vs. OAK (SWEEP)

Final record: 90-72

What this means: Playing out of their minds over the past two weeks against the AL West’s top teams.

The A’s

3 vs. LAA (SWEPT), 3 vs. MIN (SWEEP), 3 at SEA (2 of 3), 3 at LAA (SWEPT)

Final record: 90-72

What this means: Basically if the A’s lose a bunch to the Angels (which is in our control!)

The Mariners

3 at HOU (1 of 3), 3 at TEX (2 of 3), 3 vs. OAK (1 of 3), 4 vs. TEX (SPLIT)

Final record: 89-73

What this means: The Mariners marinered.

The Rays

3 at TEX (2 of 3), 4 at TOR (2 of 4), 4 vs. NYY (1 of 4), 3 vs. TOR (2 of 3)

Final record: 89-73

What this means: Arguably the least important since they face a bunch of AL East teams and are therefore out of the Angels’ control, the Rays could still put up a fight. They have won 8 straight, after all.

Conclusion

Of course this won’t happen, but what if it did?