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Max Scherzer wasn't dominant on Friday night, but 12 runs of support from the Detroit Tigers was more than enough to secure his MLB-leading 20th win of the season as Detroit topped the Chicago White Sox 12-3. The right-hander failed in his four previous attempts at the milestone.

The Boston Red Sox are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The team clinched the American League East title—its first since 2007—with a 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night.

The San Francisco Giants went to their bullpen on Friday night with two outs in the seventh inning, and Alex Rodriguez made them regret it. His opposite-field home run not only broke a 1-1 tie; it set a new MLB record for career grand slams.

Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus was forced to leave Friday's game against the Red Sox after an errant throw hit him in the head while jogging out to center field. 

The full clip of the incident can be seen below.

There are still games to be played, some very meaningful, but there's no question that front offices for all 30 teams have already started preparing their offseason game plans.

Which free agents will they target? Which of their own free agents will they try and retain? Which players should they target in a trade, and which of their own players are expendable? How much money will be available to spend? Which of their minor league players are ready to make an impact at the big league level.

At 93-61, the Boston Red Sox are steamrolling the American League, guaranteed a spot in the postseason and likely headed for the top seed in the league.

When October arrives, expect Boston to take on the winner of the six-team wild-card bonanza currently taking place in the American League. Assuming Boston does hold on to the top spot in eh AL, it will be taking on an opponent that expended energy throughout September just to reach the Division Series.

Around this time of year in Major League Baseball, trying to keep your head on straight, while focusing on the playoff roulette that happens, gets to be very difficult. 

On the plus side, with so much movement and so many storylines happening all around us, it gives everyone something to talk about on a nightly basis. We can dissect games, plays, moments, pitches, etc. 

While the St. Louis is eyeing its third consecutive postseason appearance, a number of important events dramatically altered the 2013 season.

Most of these events are based on opportunity, while others are wrapped around raw talent. Perhaps the most important is youth, which the Cardinals boast plenty of.

The baseball world has been focused on the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox for much of the season, but the Cincinnati Reds are one of the under-the-radar teams with the talent to win the World Series.

Teams like the New York Yankees have received more attention than the Reds and the other teams on this list, and they aren't even in position to make the playoffs.

The Reds recently went 6-1 against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Dodgers, so they know they can compete with the best teams.

Safe to say Jose Romero is excited to see the Los Angles Dodgers in the playoffs. His new ink goes well with the Oakland Raiders tattoo on the top of his head. 

Thanks to Cut4 for the find. 

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