National League wild card race looks like a barnburner with 3 weeks remaining in regular season

PHOENIX (AP) — Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker had the thousand-yard stare of a man who had been through an emotional roller coaster on Sunday afternoon — and he was on the winning side.

“That was probably one of the top two or three most draining games I’ve ever been a part of,” he said with the slightest hint of a grin after the Braves finished a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays in 11 innings.

Welcome to September baseball.

The playoff races, particularly in the National League, look like they could be barnburners over the final three weeks. In the NL, the San Diego Padres, Diamondbacks, Mets and Braves are in a four-team scramble with only three wild card spots available.

Here's a look at the upcoming road for the four teams after Sunday's games:

Meanwhile, in the American League

The AL playoff race isn't quite as hot and heavy at the moment, but it wouldn't take much for that to change. The Minnesota Twins have a 3 1/2 game lead over the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners for the final wild card.

The Boston Red Sox are four back while the Tampa Bay Rays are five behind.

Also of note, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are locked in a fight for the AL East. The Yankees currently have a half-game lead. The winner will likely get a bye for the first round of the playoffs.

Trivia Question

The White Sox recently hit the 110-loss threshold for the season. That's a lot of misery, but not totally uncommon. There are three other teams that have had at least 110 losses in a season since 2021. Who are they?

Up and Coming

Mets third baseman Mark Vientos had one of the big moments of the past week when he clubbed a two-run homer in the 10th inning to lead New York over Cincinnati on Friday. It was an exclamation point on a sneaky good season from the 24-year-old. He's batting .284 with 24 homers.

Here are a few other young hitters having under-the-radar productive seasons.

Trivia Answer

The Athletics (112 losses in 2023), the Orioles (110 losses in 2021) and the Diamondbacks (110 losses in 2021).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

David Brandt, The Associated Press