Louis would battle in the other NLDS.Ĭan longtime Twins fans handle another first-round matchup against the Yankees, who eliminated them in 2003, ’04, ’09, ’10 and in the 2017 wild-card game? Unless the Yanks pass the Astros, that’s what they’ll get. That would pit the Dodgers against the wild card winner (Washington-Milwaukee, at the moment) in the Division Series, while Atlanta and St. The Dodgers were 59-22 at home and 41-34 on the road, while New York won 57 at Yankee Stadium.Īt 102-54, the Astros hold a half-game lead on the Yankees (102-55) for best record in baseball, while the Dodgers (100-56) need to win just one game to clinch the best record in the NL. The three most potent teams this year all play significantly better in their own ballparks, led by the Astros, who went 60-21 at Minute Maid Park. With the same group of super powers returning to the playoffs on a nearly annual basis, the race for home field advantage in each round gains more scrutiny with each passing year.Īnd in this year of the home run, home cooking seems even more important. 2 wild card would be held at Tropicana Field, thanks to Tampa Bay’s 6-1 record against Cleveland this year. Should the teams finish in a three-way tie, the Athletics, by virtue of their 9-4 record against the other two clubs, would have the option of two shots to earn a wild card position - the first at home against the Rays, with the Indians facing the loser of that game.Ī one-game Indians-Rays tiebreaker for the No. They finish with series at the Angels (70-86) and Mariners (66-90), while the Rays (Yankees, at Blue Jays) and Indians (at White Sox, at Nationals) each play one palooka and one powerhouse. And the schedule should help the A’s (94-62) lock down a home date for the wild card. 2 wild card, with Oakland holding a two-game advantage over both for the No. Meanwhile, the Indians have pulled even with Tampa Bay at 92-64 for the AL’s No. Best to take care of business against Philly: Washington hosts Cleveland to finish the season, and the Indians are fighting for their own playoff lives. The Nationals? They play a whopping eight games this week, five against the Phillies, and need go just 4-4 to clinch a playoff berth. A 2-4 finish ensures them no worse than a tiebreaker for a wild card spot, and that would require one of the Mets and Cubs to finish 7-0 or 6-0, respectively. Splitting their final six games ensures the Brewers a wild-card spot. POWER RANKINGS: Even the worst teams have positive takeaways The Brew Crew hits the road for the final six games, and in Cincinnati will face unfavorable pitching matchups against Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo before heading to Colorado for the final three.ĬUBS: Weekend meltdown signals the end of an era in Chicago They’re now in a virtual tie with the Washington Nationals for the No. The Brewers have sufficiently shocked the world by winning 10 of 12 since reigning MVP Christian Yelich suffered a season-ending knee injury. In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves are division champs in the Central, the Cardinals can clinch with a 4-2 week and have a magic number of four to hold off the Milwaukee Brewers. In the American League, the New York Yankees and Houston Astros have won division titles, while the Minnesota Twins, holding a magic number of three over the Cleveland Indians, can clinch the Central by Wednesday. Louis Cardinals’ startling and historic four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs essentially put every division race to bed. Until then? Here’s the most important angles to track: Who’s getting in?Ī complicated conclusion gained significant clarity over the weekend, as the St. This time next week, we could be talking Byzantine tiebreakers, mass firings, or merely gearing up for the annual absurdity of one-game wild card knockouts. It will culminate in a soccer-style final Sunday (all games begin around 3 ET/noon PT) that may prove meaningless – or wildly consequential. View Gallery: MLB teams celebrate postseason berthsĪs Major League Baseball’s marathon turns to a sprint, there’s no shortage of significant drama as contenders lean toward the tape.īe it playoff berths, home field advantage, individual awards and titles, or ensuring gainful employment in 2020, the final six to eight games will hold some significance for almost every club.
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