While the NL is fairly settled, the AL is still very much in play. Particularly the East and Central with the streaking Indians, slumping Chisox, and the annual Redsox/Yanks battle.

Who will end up on the outside looking in?

Closing this one tomorrow evening.

IMO: Even is the tribe catches the Chisox for the division, the loser will, most likely, get the wildcard. I think the left out will be the one that doesn't clinch the East.

Boston or NY is going to get left out in the cold. The wildcard is coming out of the central.

The real bet will be "Who ends up the hero or the goat, Johnson or Schilling?"

The real bet will be "Who ends up the hero or the goat, Johnson or Schilling?"

*nod* That last 3 game series 'tween the socks and yanks looks to be a good one to watch :)

Fuck the Yankees.

fucking yankees got a 1 game lead now

Yes, and my pride AND vCash is angry.

...oh, meant to just add this, but I'm lazy. Boston had a day off, so it's pretty much a half-game on the IDLE sox.

Boston and NY won tonight *AND* New York is now tied with Cleveland, should they fall out of the lead.

Of course, if they fall out of the lead, they'll probably be behind Cleveland, so as of TODAY, the Central is still looking like the home of the Wildcard.

And, since I'm an optimist, the Diamondbacks are playing 3 games against the Padres today, and still have E4 next to their name, so the fat lady is only warming up on my team.

the Diamondbacks are playing 3 games against the Padres today


What's sad is the div winner of the west might do so with a record of .500 or less. :(

So, at the end of our three-games against them, we lost one, and reduced our E# to 2. Interestingly, now, the Giants, who are 4 games back of the Padres, begin a 4-game series against them.

So, it'd be a maricle - but the NL West isn't over until the Giants fail to sweep them.

In AL news, Boston and NY are tied, and they're both only a game behind the Central in the Wildcard. Boston and NY keep (mostly) winning, and the Central continues to slump.

So, who knows. At this rate, it might be the Indians on the outside looking in. ...and they play their final three against the White Sox. The AL wildcard is getting messier by the day.

Yeah.

Though I don't see either series ending in a sweep (Bos/Nyy, Chicox/Tribe). I still think whoever loses the East is going home early, but it's an interesting stretch run :)

From MLB.com

Since it's looking like everyone might have 92 wins STILL tonight in the East. Boston appears to be splitting. The Yankees appear to be losing.

Also, the Madness in the West continues. Bonds has the Giants off to a 3-0 lead in the first. ERK! 3-2 now that I type this :) They're 3 games out with 3 games left in the series against them. Bonds is a man on a mission.



It doesn't happen very often -- a one-game, end-of-the-season playoff game to qualify for the postseason. But it could happen this year if a number of combinations fall into place.


Everyone remembers Bobby Thomson's homer that sunk Brooklyn in favor of the New York Giants (1951) and Bucky Dent's Green Monster shot that helped the Yanks eliminate the Red Sox (1978) when it comes to end-of-the-regular-season playoff game heroics.

But just to jog the memory, since the current three-division and Wild Card format spawned postseason competitors for the first time in 1995, three spots have been decided by game No. 163, one in which all personal records count and one that determines the final result in the standings.

The Mariners won the American League West over the Angels in the old Kingdome in 1995; the Cubs vanquished the San Francisco Giants at Wrigley Field for the National League's Wild Card berth in 1998; and a year later, the Mets ousted the Reds to win the NL's Wild Card spot.

Each year, the powers that be in Major League Baseball toss coins in the weeks before the end of the season to determine who would host those games. They usually don't happen. Remember last year? The Dodgers, Giants and Astros all went into the last weekend of the season with the possibility of a three-way tie that could have locked up the NL West and the Wild Card after 162 games were played.

Coins were flipped, and it was determined that the Dodgers would play the Giants in San Francisco for the NL West title on the Monday after the regular season ended. The loser would've had to play the Astros for the Wild Card the next day. It never happened. The Dodgers defeated the Giants in L.A. on the next-to-last day of the season, and the Astros eliminated the Giants by winning on the final day of the season.

There are some scenarios -- a few crazy, the remainder a possibility -- that could result in some playoff games to get to the postseason if all the stars align come the end of play Sunday.

What if the AL East and Central divisions end in ties?
Next Monday, the Red Sox would play the Yankees at Yankee Stadium and the White Sox would play the Indians at Jacobs Field. The losers would then play a Wild Card playoff game on Tuesday to determine the AL's final playoff setup. The Yankees would play the Indians at The Jake; the Red Sox would play Cleveland at Fenway Park; and all combinations against the White Sox are yet to be determined.

What if those divisions are won outright and two teams in the AL Wild Card race finish with the same records?
Next Monday, the Yankees would play the Indians at the Jake or the Red Sox would play Cleveland at Fenway Park. All combinations against the White Sox are yet to be determined.

What if the Yankees, Red Sox and Indians all finish with the same records?
The Yankees and Red Sox play in New York for the AL East title and the loser plays the Indians for the Wild Card berth on Tuesday. New York is at the Jake if the Yanks lose and the Tribe is at Fenway if the Red Sox lose.

Why, you might ask, is there a Wild Card playoff game when the Indians would have a half-game better record than the Yankees-Red Sox loser? MLB has determined that it would not be fair for a team that's tied for a division title at the end of the regular season to be displaced in the postseason by a second-place team. Thus, the mandatory Wild Card playoff game.

What if the Phillies and Braves tie for the NL East and the Astros finish with the same record?
Same scenario and reasoning as above. The Phillies would host the Braves next Monday at Citizens Bank Park and the loser would then play the Astros. On Tuesday, the Phils would host the Astros. If the Braves lose, where they play the Astros still must be determined.

What if the National League divisions are won outright, but the top two teams in the NL Wild Card race finish with the same records?
Next Monday, the Astros would host the Phillies.

What if the Phillies tie the Braves for the NL East?
Next Monday, the Phillies would host the Braves, unless those two teams finish with the best records in the NL. In that case, there wouldn't be a playoff game. Both teams would make the playoffs and the first-place team would be determined by head-to-head record. First place would go to the Phillies, who won the season series, 10-9.

What if the Giants tie the Padres in the NL West?
Next Monday, San Francisco would play San Diego at PETCO Park. Neither team has a good enough record to qualify for the Wild Card.

What if the Yankees tie the Red Sox in the AL East?
Next Monday, the Yankees would host the Red Sox, unless those two teams finish with the best records in the AL. In that case, there wouldn't be a playoff game. Both teams would make the playoffs and the first-place team is determined by the two teams' head-to-head record. As of Tuesday, the Yankees led the season series, 9-7.

What if the Indians and the White Sox are tied in the AL Central?
Next Monday (Oct. 3), the Indians would host the White Sox unless those two teams finish with the best records in the AL. In that case, there wouldn't be a playoff game. Both teams would make the playoffs, and the first-place team is determined by the two teams' head-to-head record. As of Tuesday, the White Sox led the season series, 11-5, and are guaranteed of the better record.

MLB has determined that it would not be fair for a team that's tied for a division title at the end of the regular season to be displaced in the postseason by a second-place team. Thus, the mandatory Wild Card playoff game.


That one I hadn't heard before. I do agree with the rule though, just never heard of it before. :)

Boston, NY, and Cleveland. All 92-65 with 5 to go. It's gonna be fun fun fun kids.

Interesting how the NL has pretty much all settled in. The cards get the most oportunity to rest anyone they want, the braves win their 14th div title (death, taxes, and the braves win the division), and San Diego is close and may finish with the worst record of any division winner ever.


The AL is still a dogfight. The chisox bought a bit of breathing room with the tribe losing 1-0 tonight. Yanks and Redsox will need the weekend to shake out.

Thing that would scare me in the NL is the astros. With that pitching staff (usually with poor run support) and their hitting being hot lately, they could make a hellova run. I'm a GA boy, but I see them taking the braves and giving the cards a real fight if not upsetting them completely.

Yanks now hold first place by 1 game with 4 games to go. The last series of the season is going to be good.

Yanks and Red Sox weekend to close the season!!

Ahhhh this is the only time of the year I can sit and watch baseball. Finally it means something.

Fandros

Boston and Cleveland are both still 93/66 and the Yankees are 94/65.

Here's a likely scenerio -- Boston wins the series against the Yankees 2-1, and are tied 95/67 to end the series. As an added bonus, Cleveland beats CWS 2-1, and all three end up 95/67.

Bring out the tiebreakers!

I'm so praying that happens.

What if the Yankees, Red Sox and Indians all finish with the same records?
The Yankees and Red Sox play in New York for the AL East title and the loser plays the Indians for the Wild Card berth on Tuesday. New York is at the Jake if the Yanks lose and the Tribe is at Fenway if the Red Sox lose.

Of course, the Indians could just sweep CWS this weekend, and then it's the White Sox looking in from the outside.

FUN!

redsox and yankees now tied, indians 1 game back after tonight's games.

Another loss by Cleveland, and at a MINIMUM the Sox or Yanks get to play a Wildcard tie game.

Let me be the first to say, Good Job AL Central for self destructing down the stretch.