MLB playoff races to watch in September - SBNation.com

National League standings · Cubs: 15 games (6 at home) · Braves: 14 games (7 at home) · Cardinals: 13 games (7 at home) · Brewers: 9 games (3 at ... 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By EricStephen@ericstephen Aug31,2018,10:00amEDT / new Sharethisstory SharethisonFacebook SharethisonTwitter Share Allsharingoptions Share Allsharingoptionsfor: MLBplayoffracestowatchinSeptember Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email TheCardinalshaveleapfroggedseveralNationalLeagueteamsinthelastsixweeks.Cantheykeepitupdownthestretch? PhotobyJeffCurry/GettyImages Thereisamonthtogointheregularseason,andafewoftheplayoffracesareessentiallyover.ButtherearestillintriguingbattlestobewagedoverthefinalfourweeksinMajorLeagueBaseball.HerearethethreeracestowatchinSeptember. NationalLeagueWest Therace:3teamsfor1spotTeams:Diamondbacks,Rockies,Dodgers Thisoneisthebestracegoing,withtheDiamondbacks,Rockies,andDodgersbunchedtogethercloserthananyotherdivisionrace.ThereissomefallbackpotentialherewithallthreeteamsstillverymuchaliveintheWildCardderby,butavoidingthatplay-ingameisverymuchpreferred. EnteringFridayArizonaisinfirstplace,leadingColoradoby1½gamesandLosAngelesbytwo. Thekeyhereisthegamesleftagainsteachother.LAandArizonaareplayingthisweekendinLA,andstillhavesixgamesremainingagainsteachother.TheRockiesplaytheDodgerssixmoretimes,andplaytheD-backssevenmoretimes. Allthreeteamshavebetterroadrecordsthanathome,butit’sworthnotingthatdownthestretchColoradohasthemosthomegamesremaining,with17.Arizonahas15andLosAngelesjust12. NationalLeagueWildCard Therace:6teamsfor2spotsTeams:Cardinals,Brewers,Diamondbacks,Rockies,Dodgers,Phillies Intheorythiscouldalsobeeightteamsfortwospots,butwiththeCubsowninga4½-gameadvantageintheNLCentralandtheBravesupthreegamesintheNLEast,let’spenciltheminasdivisionwinnersfornow.ButthenextsixteamsintheNationalLeaguepeckingorderareseparatedbyjust3½games. NationalLeaguestandings Spot Team W-L Pct GB Spot Team W-L Pct GB NLCentral Cubs 79-54 0.594 --- NLEast Braves 74-59 0.556 5 NLWest Diamondbacks 74-60 0.552 5½ WildCard Cardinals 75-59 0.560 +½ WildCard Brewers 75-60 0.556 --- Rockies 72-61 0.541 2 Dodgers 72-62 0.537 2½ Phillies 71-62 0.534 3 throughAugust30,2018 St.LouishassurgedtothetopoftheWildCardheapthankstoa28-13recordundermanagerMikeShildt,whosawtheinterimtagremovedthisweekwithatwo-yearcontractextensiontocontinueattheCardinalshelm. TheRockies,alsoinadivisionalfight(seeabove),havebeensimilarlyhot,winning26oftheirlast42games. AcoupleofkeyfiguresintheNationalLeagueplayoffpositioningcanlookbacktotheearlypartoftheseason,bothmiredinslumps.HereweresomenumbersonMay23: MattCarpenter,Cardinals:.199/.320/.370,4HRPaulGoldschmidt,Diamondbacks:.200/.324/.371,6HR ButherewearethreemonthslaterandCarpenterandGoldschmidtlookalotmorelikeCarptenerandGoldschmidt,rankingfirstandthirdrespectivelyintheNLinhomeruns: Carpenter:.273/.387/.574,34HRGoldschmidt:.291/.395/.541,30HR HereisahowoftenthetopeightteamsintheNLplayeachotheroverthefinal31daysoftheseason: Cubs:15games(6athome) Braves:14games(7athome) Cardinals:13games(7athome) Brewers:9games(3athome) Diamondbacks:20games(13athome) Rockies:17games(10athome) Dodgers:16games(6athome) Phillies:14games(6athome) MilwaukeehasthefewestnumberofgamesleftagainstothertopNLsquads.Arizonahasthemost,plusalsohasathree-gameinterleagueseriesagainstthedefendingchampionAstros.TheBravesalsohosttheRedSox—ownersofMLB’sbestrecord—forthreegamesinSeptember. Related Game7oftheWorldSeriesisscheduledforHalloween AmericanLeagueWestandWildCard TheALhasbeenanoddvortexformostoftheseason,withthefourexpectedsuperteamsessentiallyproceedingnearlyunchallenged.ThetoptworecordsresideintheALEast,withthejuggernautRedSoxleadingtheYankeesby8½games.NewYork’splayoffchancesarenotinquestion,buttheymighthavetosettlefortheWildCardGamedespitesportinga102-winpace. TheIndiansowna14-gameleadintheALCentral,thelargestdivisionaladvantageinbaseball,whichbasicallyleavestheALWesttodecidetherestofthefield. Therace:3teamsfor2spotsTeams:Astros,A’s,Mariners HoustonisthereigningWorldSerieschampandarestrongagain,ownersofthetoprundifferentialinthemajors(+221).TheAstrosleadtheALWestby2½games,butthisdivisionisnotoverbyanymeans. TheAthleticshaveledafuriouschargebywinning46oftheirlast65games,andevenbrieflycaughtHoustonforfirstplaceinthedivision.ButwithstartingpitchersSeanManaeaandBrettAndersongettinghurt,Oaklandhasanuphillbattle,especiallyforthedivision.Manaeaistheirace,andhisrotatorcuffcouldderailtheirchances. Melvinsayshebelievesit’salessthan50percentchanceManaeareturnsbeforetheendoftheseason.—SusanSlusser(@susanslusser)August30,2018 ThereisapotentialfallbackfortheA’s,wholeadtheMarinersby4½gamesforthesecondWildCardspot.Seattlehashadinjuriesoftheirown,withJamesPaxtonandMarcoGonzalesonthedisabledlist,andhavebeenoutscoredontheseason. SeattleenteredThursdaywitha9.6%chancetomaketheplayoffsperFanGraphs,withtheA’sat90.2%. TheMarinersandA’splayeachotherthisweekendinOakland,andplayagaininSeattleforthreegamesduringthelastweekoftheregularseason. Signupforthe newsletter SayHey,Baseball Everythingworthknowinginbaseball,everydayoftheweek. Thanksforsigningup! Checkyourinboxforawelcomeemail. Email(required) Bysigningup,youagreetoourPrivacyNoticeandEuropeanusersagreetothedatatransferpolicy. Subscribe NextUpIn MLB IsBartoloColontheworstbatterevertohitahomerun? Inthisphoto,MikeMorseishittingagrandslamwithoutabaseballbat Thewhole2001ALDSGame3needsadeeprewind ThemanwiththeinfiniteERA Thethree-ballwalk,andothercountingfailures MostRead The6teamswiththemosthopelessfuturesintheNFL SorryGiantsfans,thefuturelooksbleak. Thisballerteacherhitafullcourtshottoearnherclasshotchocolate Avideogoingviralforalltherightreasons, HowKentucky’sOscarTshiebweisbecomingoneofthebestreboundersever OscarTshiebweplaysnothinglikeamoderncenter,andthat’swhyhe’ssofuntowatch. Rankingthebestandworstbowlgamegiftsplayerswillreceivein2021 There’ssomegoodhere,andsome...woof. Theseathletesboughtfansabeerafteraccidentallyspillingone BemorelikeGaryPaytonIIandDylanLarkintoyourfellowneighbors. Horizontal-Colbalt Sharethisstory Twitter Facebook