Yahoo Sports MLB postseason picture: Cardinals pull even with Dodgers for second wild-card spot
September is upon us, which means every race in Major League Baseball is headed for the home stretch. Every game matters more than ever to the teams competing for a postseason spot. That’s why every night between now and the end of the regular season we’ll bring you an updated look at the MLB postseason picture.
It’s been a rough weekend for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals started a series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday. It was a crucial matchup. St. Louis came into the series with a two-game lead for the second National League wild-card spot.
By Sunday, that lead had evaporated. The Dodgers took three-straight games from St. Louis, and had opened up a one-game lead over the Cardinals for that wild-card spot.
With their postseason hopes hanging in the balance, the Cardinals delivered Sunday. Adam Wainwright turned in six vintage innings, leading the team to a 5-0 win. The victory broke the Cardinals’ four-game losing streak and pulled them even with the Dodgers for the final playoff spot in the NL.
Given the tight standings, the playoffs pretty much begin now for St. Louis. It won’t be easy. The team will play the Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs to close out the year. That’s a brutal schedule for a team that has to consider every game a must win from here on out.
The state of MLB’s playoff races
• AL East: The Boston Red Sox have already clinched a postseason spot. They have an 11.5-game lead over the New York Yankees for the division. They should clinch the AL East soon. Home-field advantage in the playoffs is next.
• AL Central: The Cleveland Indians already wrapped up the division.
• AL West: The Houston Astros increased their chances of winning the division with their 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Oakland Athletics fell to 4.5 games back of the Astros after dropping a game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
• AL Wild Card: Yankees and A’s both lost, so there was no change. The Yankees lead the A’s by 1.5 games. The Rays’ win puts them seven games back of the Athletics for that second playoff spot.
• NL East: The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies both lost, so there was no movement at the top of the division. Atlanta still holds a 6.5-game lead over the Phillies in the East.
• NL Central: The Chicago Cubs maintained their 2.5-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers at the top of the division. Both clubs lost Sunday. The Cardinals moved up in the Central, but sit 5.5 games back.
• NL West: The Dodgers’ loss dropped them a half game behind the Colorado Rockies in the West. The Rockies took care of their business, beating the Giants 3-2. The Dodgers have played one more game than the Rockies, which is why there’s a half-game difference between both clubs.
Magic Number Watch
• Red Sox — 2: Boston has already clinched a playoff spot, but the team needs a tiny bit of help to win the division. That could happen Tuesday if they beat the Yankees.
If the playoff started tomorrow
Wild-card games: A’s at Yankees; Cardinals or Dodgers at Brewers
ALDS: Indians at Astros; Wild-card winner vs. Red Sox
NLDS: Rockies at Atlanta; Wild-card winner vs. Cubs
Elimination Watch
With their loss to the Red Sox, the New York Mets were eliminated. They should be joined soon by the San Francisco Giants, who are one game away from being eliminated. The Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates remain two games away from elimination.
The Yankees are also two games away from being eliminated from the division race, but remain in great shape to snag one of the American League wild-card spots.
Monday’s must-see game
The Rockies are Dodgers begin a series separated by just a half game in the NL West. Colorado will hope to keep the division lead with Jon Gray on the mound. The Dodgers will try to surge ahead with Hyun-Jin Ryu.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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