The Rays returned to the playoffs for the second consecutive year despite losing many players from the year before. The Red Sox and Braves suffered two of the most epic collapses their respective franchises had ever had, losing their playoff spots on the last day and in the last game of the season despite leading the next contending teams by multiple games at the start of the last month of the season. The Cardinals eventually rode the momentum of their win to win the NLDS and NLCS on their way to defeating the Texas Rangers for their 11th World Series title. The 2011 season was the final season of the single wildcard format, as MLB added second wildcard teams to each league starting with the 2012 season. The excitement of the final day of the 2011 season was cited as an argument against this change in format, as the new format would not have allowed for such an ending to the season.