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The season is coming to an end. There's only one game left for all 30 MLB teams.
All games (except those in the Bronx and Washington, due to the weather) will be broadcast around 3 p.m.
As of now, two of the four “best second-place” series are set in stone… and 10 of the 12 teams that will compete in the playoffs have secured their spots.
Here's a rundown of the situation.
In the American League, the Rays are guaranteed to finish in first place, and the Guardians—who clinched their division last night—will finish in second place.
The Rays will wait to see whether the Yankees or the Red Sox win next week to find out who their opponent will be in the division series.
The White Sox, meanwhile, will head to Texas for a best-of-three series. The winner will travel to Cleveland for the other American League Division Series.
The only thing that remains unknown is whether the division champion will be the Astros or the Rangers. Both teams are tied with a dismal 80-81 record.
Last night, the Rangers won 6-2 in Minnesota, and the Astros routed the A's 13-2 in California's capital.
The Rangers will need to win and hope the Astros lose today to advance. The Astros hold the tiebreaker advantage, and a win would be enough for them to advance.
In the National League, the Brewers will finish in first place and the Dodgers will finish in second. They'll avoid the wild-card games.
Milwaukee will host the winner of the series between the Cubs and the Padres, which will take place in San Diego. That series was decided last night.
The Braves will host the final National League team to qualify for the playoffs starting Tuesday. The winner will head to Los Angeles for the division series.
And that final team could be the Phillies (whose offense is currently struggling) or the Diamondbacks.
Last night, the Phillies (with Aaron Nola on a short rest) were routed by the Rays 12-1, and the D-backs lost 10-7 to the Padres.
Arizona trails Philly by one game but holds the tiebreaker. A D-backs win and a Phillies loss would secure the desert club's spot.
Otherwise, it'll be Philadelphia that advances. The team controls its own destiny.
It's worth noting that the Phillies, who are playing for all or nothing, will activate Jesus Luzardo from the injured list. He'll be available in the bullpen later today, if needed.
So, in summary, there are four games to watch today (in terms of their impact on the standings), and they're all around 3 p.m.
By around 6 p.m., we should have a clear picture of how things will play out.
- Rays vs. Phillies: Nick Martinez vs. Zack Wheeler
- Astros vs. A's: Peter Lambert vs. Seth Johnson
- Diamondbacks vs. Padres: Michael Soroka vs. Randy Vasquez
- Rangers vs. Twins: MacKenzie Gore vs. Dean Kremer
Just a quick reminder: the Astros and the Phillies can clinch a playoff spot simply by winning a game today.
The Rangers and Diamondbacks, on the other hand, not only have to win, but they also have to hope that their rival in the race loses this afternoon.
Created by humans, assisted by AI.
