Washington -- OK, there are two weeks left in the regular season, where there are 13 games left over on the Athletics' schedule. And yes, the particular A's did put themselves in control of the American League Wild Card race with back-to-back benefits against the Mariners on Saturday.

But manager Bob Melvin said he's not looking at what should be an encouraging schedule for Oakland in the last two weeks of the regular period. His focus, His said, is actually on Tuesday night's game contrary to the Rangers. It is the opening bet on a nine-game homestand that is a prelude to a season-ending four-game trip to Texas for another matchup with all the team that has a big league-worst file of 57-92.

'The schedule means nothing,' said Melvin, whose workforce had lost 22 regarding 31 games prior to claiming back-to-back wins for the first time in 3 weeks, and had seen a four-game 's West lead turn into a 11-game deficit. 'Our schedule looked great at the start of the second half. Our travel was better than it turned out [before the All-Star break], but it didn't allow us to.'

Maybe not, but it's apparent that while Melvin and his staff are serious they aren't looking ahead, they're peeking a little bit. They did, of course, juggle the rotation for that stretch run, and with the change, it just happens to be lined up making sure that Sonny Gray would start one more game of the regular season, which will put postseason-proven Jon Lester in line to start either a Game 163, if a tiebreaker game is necessary, or the AL Untamed Card Game that unwraps the postseason.

What cannot be denied would be that the Athletics regained control of their particular destiny with those benefits against the Mariners, which included the 3-2, 10-inning victory in a game that will Felix Hernandez started on Saturday night.

'All advised, when you [do that], you can get to sensation better about yourself,' Melvin said. 'You lose a tough first game [in the series on Friday], and then you face Felix.'

Felix escaped with a no-decision, nevertheless what mattered to the A's is that the Ocean adventurers didn't win that game -- which would have allowed Washington to slip ahead of Oakland in the AL Wild Card competition. And then the A's managed a 4-0 win on Sunday, when Lester struggled his way through 6-8 shutout innings and Brandon Moss homered for the first time in Thirty-nine games.

'If there was a series we needed to win, it was this place,' said Moss. 'You don't want to end up being sitting a half-game out with these guys and then Detroit [leading the Royals within the Central] and Kansas City playing the way they're playing.

'You don't want to count on other people to take care of your business available for you. You want to go out and win the games you're supposed to gain and take care of your own enterprise. It was a big series.'

And the A's do have the most promising routine of the serious AL Wild Card contenders. They have your nine-game homestand that includes visits by the Ranger, Phillies and Angels, and then Oakland completes with that four-game trip to Texas. The particular Mariners, meanwhile, have only several remaining games at home -- a new season-ending series against the Angels -- and embark on an 11-game road trip on Monday that takes them from Anaheim (4 games) to Houston (several games) to Toronto (several games).

Did the Mariners provide an inkling last summer? They did file a request that the schedule be reworked to protect yourself from such a disjointed journey from the final days of this season, even so the slate wasn't changed.

And and then there are the Tigers and the Royals, battling for the AL Key title with the hope if they can not win the division, they're able to at least earn one of the Ing Wild Card spots. Detroit merely has three of its remaining 13 games against a entrepeneur -- a weekend visit to Overland park -- while playing home-and-home series together with Minnesota and three games against the White Sox.

Kansas City, at the same time, has three-game visits this week from your White Sox and Tigers, and after that it heads on the road to finish the season with three games at Cleveland, where the Royals will also complete a suspended game in which they trail 4-2, and then a few at Tampa Bay.

Not that any of the contenders are looking that will far down the road.

What matters is actually today, although peeking at what lies ahead is allowed.

Washington -- Make no mistake, Beginning Day in Washington is no normal day at the ball garden.

'It's a special day. It's a morning we all look forward to, getting out of Springtime Training and getting under the genuine lights and playing a new meaningful game,' outfielder Johnson Ludwick said. 'If you don't have a little bit of butterflies, a little bit of nerves and a lot of excitement, then there's something wrong.'

The Reds' place as history's first professional baseball group merits special consideration. Throughout the years, that has manifested itself being a guaranteed start to the season at your home.

'Certainly, I think everybody that practices Major League Baseball understands the great Starting Day that the Reds have gotten traditionally over the years,' Yellows manager Bryan Price said. 'It used to be the first game every year in the Major League season, that's outstanding. The parade, the actual support throughout the community, it can be like a regional holiday, i always think is terrific. That brings a certain amount of electricity.

'Opening Evening is special for everyone, however opening the first game in your own home I think is even more special than opening six times into the season. I don't know should there be a huge advantage; there's possibly statistics that would verify that will, but I do know that the location and the surrounding towns are really supportive of the Reds plus the Reds Nation. I think it could be impossible not to feel that if you're on the field.'

Jay Bruce said there's a key advantage to be had with the players in getting to start in your own home.

'The tradition of opening at home -- the Washington Reds being the 1st professional baseball team -- is actually something that the Reds as an organization are very proud of,In . Bruce said. 'From just a personal viewpoint, it's much more comfortable. You get to return home. You get to get settled with. You get to just take a deep inhale and get on your routine, jump on your schedule a little bit rather than start the hotel tour so early.

'It's nice to come the following and know that you're going to be cracking open at home. Being able to play in front of the home crowd is huge, far too.'

But for all its fanfare, Opening up Day comes with a fantastic volume of pressure. Just ask Selling price, who suited up Mon for his first time since the Reds' manager.

'I think it's a situation that can be overwhelming if you allow it to become,' His said prior to the online game. 'I'm the 61st manager to have this chance to have an Opening Day here with the Reds, so that alone can be overwhelming if I ensure it is. I think the most important thing is to embrace this wonderful moment, not just in my life and in my family's, except for this team and this party and this ownership and the followers.

'We'd love for this to be a remarkable Opening Day for all the appropriate reasons and a great will our season. As much as Now i'm trying not to be at a loss for it, certainly going through this specific for the first time is special to use own way.'

Ask Bruce, who is commencing his sixth season within the big leagues.

'What I can bring up it to most are playoff games,' His said. 'It really feels as though a playoff game every day. For that city of Washington, I've been fortunate enough to invest all my Opening Days here. It's very special. It really is.

'There's the parade that I never look like a part of, but I hear it is great,' Bruce chuckled. 'It's truly something that Washington really does first class. And I'm recognized and humbled to be a part of it.'

Or inquire Billy Hamilton, who was readying for the first Opening Day and for his new job as the Reds' starting off center fielder.

'I couldn't sleep the other day,' Hamilton said. 'Sleep for such as 30 minutes, wake up for Thirty minutes and think about the game. I believe like I'm back in my own high school championship game.'