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MLB postseason picture: Rockies win again, but can't make progress in NL West

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.

The Colorado Rockies picked a good time to go on a winning streak. Problem is, they haven’t been able to take advantage in the standings. The Rockies picked up their third-straight win Sunday, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0.

With the team fighting for a playoff spot, every game matters now. While the Rockies need to win as much as possible, the team also needs some help from either the Los Angeles Dodgers or the St. Louis Cardinals.

They didn’t get much of that over the weekend. The Dodgers lost on Friday to the San Diego Padres, but managed to win both Saturday and Sunday. The Cardinals have matched the Rockies, winning three straight games.

That puts Colorado in a tight spot entering the final week of the regular season. The team trails the Dodgers by 1.5 games for the National League West, and the Cardinals by 1.5 games for the final wild-card spot in the National League.

With seven games left to go in the regular season, the Rockies are running out of time to claim that final postseason spot.

The Rockies have won three-straight games. (AP Photo)
The Rockies have won three-straight games. (AP Photo)

Already clinched

• Boston Red Sox — The Red Sox clinched the American League East on Thursday. The team remains one win away from 106, which would set a new franchise record.

• New York Yankees — The Yankees have clinched a wild-card spot. The team has a 1.5-game lead over the Oakland Athletics for the top wild-card spot in the American League.

• Cleveland Indians — The first team to clinch its division just took two straight games from the Red Sox. They’ll begin a series with the Chicago White Sox on Monday.

• Houston Astros — The Astros have clinched a playoff spot. The team holds a 4.5-game lead over the Athletics in the American League West. If Oakland happens to pass them, the Astros would get in as a wild-card team.

• Atlanta Braves — The Braves clinched the National League East. The team is now battling with the NL West to determine whether it will have home-field advantage in the National League Division Series.

The state of MLB’s playoff races

• NL Central: Both the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers won, which means there was no movement at the top of the division. The Brewers trail the Cubs by two games heading into the final week of the season. The two clubs will not play each other during the final week.

The Cardinals remain 4.5 games out of the National League Central lead, though they could make plenty of noise in the final week. The Cardinals’ final six games come against the Brewers and the Cubs.

• NL wild card: Every team in the National League wild-card hunt won Sunday, leading to no change in the race for the postseason. The Brewers still hold a two-game lead over the Cardinals for the top wild-card spot in the NL. The Rockies trail the Cardinals by 1.5 games for that second wild-card spot.

• AL wild card: The New York Yankees have already clinched a wild-card spot. They lead the Oakland Athletics by 1.5 games for the first wild card in the American League. Oakland hasn’t clinched a playoff spot yet, but can do so with a win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday.

The Athletics are extremely close to clinching a postseason spot. (AP Photo)
The Athletics are extremely close to clinching a postseason spot. (AP Photo)

Magic Number Watch

• Oakland Athletics — 1: An A’s win or a loss by the Tampa Bay Rays is all Oakland needs to clinch a spot in the postseason.

If the playoff started tomorrow

Wild-card games: A’s at Yankees; Cardinals at Brewers

ALDS: Indians vs. Astros; Wild-card winner vs. Red Sox

NLDS: Dodgers vs. Braves; Wild-card winner vs. Cubs

Elimination Watch

Goodbye, Arizona Diamondbacks. You came into September leading the NL West. Just a few weeks later, you were eliminated from postseason contention by the Rockies.

Monday’s must-see game

The Brewers and Cardinals will square off with a few things on the line Monday. The Cardinals could win and put more pressure on the Brewers for the first wild-card spot in the NL and the Cubs at the top of the division. But with a loss, St. Louis’ hold on the second wild-card spot could take a hit if the Rockies can pull off a win. Jack Flaherty will take the mound for the Cardinals. The Brewers will go with a bullpen game.

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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!

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