There are eight teams looking to get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, there are only three spots left.
The race for the American League West title has come down to the wire; Oakland Athletics have the inside track on the last remaining playoff spot, but Anaheim and Texas are not far behind. The last two series of the season are crucial. The Seattle Mariners, long out of the playoffs, have a chance to spoil postseason dreams. They will finish a four game set with Oakland, and take on Texas in the final weekend of the season. The Angels, trying to close the gap on the A’s, will take on Texas before squaring off with Oakland head-to-head.
Five teams in the National League are vying for two playoff spots. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are the major players for the NL West title. The Dodgers are looking to clinch before they take on the Giants this weekend, and wins over the lowly Colorado Rockies would get the job done. The Giants can not afford a loss; the San Diego Padres are looking to throw a hitch into San Francisco’s title hopes.
The wild card race is the battle that is most likely to come to the last pitch of the season. The Chicago Cubs are in the lead, closely followed by the Giants. The Houston Astros, who have been surging since the All-Star Break, are just a half game behind San Francisco, and San Diego is just three games back. The Padres can help their own cause by beating the Giants, and then sweeping the hapless Arizona Diamondbacks. The Astros are taking on the Cardinals, who have already clinched the best record in the NL, and the Rockies in the final weekend. The Cubs have the toughest remaining schedule, taking on the scrappy Cincinnati Reds, and the ever-playoff-bound Atlanta Braves.
The scenario for the AL is very straight forward. The winner of the AL East (either the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox) will take on the division champ with the worse record (likely the winner of the AL West). The Minnesota Twins, who have quietly won the NL Central, will take on the winner of the wild card.
The playoff picture for the NL is not as clear. If the Cubs or Astros win the wild card, they will take on the Braves in the first round, with the Cardinals playing the winner of the NL West. If the Dodgers, Giants, or Padres win the wild card, they will take on the Cardinals, while the Braves battle the champions of the West.
Along with the down-to-the-wire team races, there are several intriguing individual accomplishments on the horizon. The race for the AL Cy-Young award has become a virtual toss-up between Johan Santana of the Twins and Curt Schilling of the Red Sox. The AL MVP race has become a three-man affair: Gary Sheffield of the Yankees, Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels, and Manny Ramirez of the Red Sox.
The NL MVP is a story of regulars. Cardinals Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds, and Scott Rolen are all deserving of recognition. And of course, Barry Bonds is a contender with his .372 average and 222 walks.
Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners also has a chance to make some history. He is within shouting distance of the all-time single-season hits record. Ichiro, who is hitting .372 with 254 hits on the season, only needs to average a hit a game to break the major league record of 257, held by George Sisler.
Major League Baseball also will be announcing that the Montreal Expos will be relocating to Washington, D.C. Washington previously housed two former baseball franchises, both of which were named the Senators and eventually relocated. The Twins, who are enjoying success in Minnesota, and the Rangers both played in the nation’s Capitol and own the rights to the name “Senators.” Both the MLB and the city of Washington D.C. will be holding press conferences Wednesday to announce the news. The Expos’ final home game in Montreal is tonight. The series opener against the Marlins only drew 3,923.
