The MLB is gearing up for yet another exciting end to the regular season as Cinderella teams are sprinkled in with some World Series favorites in many tight races for playoff spots. While we may not get the type of regular-season finale that we were blessed with last year, there's still plenty of intriguing storylines and teams right on the cusp of playoff berths.
With one more playoff spot up for grabs in each league this year for the first time ever, the madness is certainly not going to end when the regular season comes to a close.
Let's take a look at Tuesday's games that have major playoff implications.
American League
Boston Red Sox 7, Tampa Bay Rays 5 - F
Coming off two straight losses to the AL East leading Yankees, the Rays may have thought they were facing a slumping Red Sox team at the perfect time. It's turned out to be the opposite effect, as the Sox have taken two straight games in Tampa to push the Rays' chances of making the playoffs even further from reality.
The Rays are now in fifth place in the Wild Card after a 7-5 loss at home to the Red Sox.
Tampa jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the third, but four straight scoring innings for Boston helped them pull out to a lead that the Rays couldn't battle back from.
Errors played a part in their loss. The Rays committed three in the game, including a throwing error that led to the final go-ahead run for Boston.
Red Sox: 68-81 (Last place in AL East, eighth in Wild Card)
Rays: 78-70 (Third place in AL East, fifth in Wild Card)
Detroit Tigers 12, Oakland Athletics 2 - F
The Oakland A's kept things interesting during the early going, but couldn't silence the Tigers' bats, as Detroit pulled out a big-time home victory.
The scorching-hot Athletics got off to a good start and took the lead off a Brandon Moss single, but they wouldn't lead for long, as the Tigers notched a run in each of the first three innings.
Five combined runs in the fifth and sixth innings and a four-run eighth inning put it away for the Tigers, who couldn't pull any closer to the White Sox after their victory over Kansas City.
A's: 84-63 (second in AL West, first in Wild Card)
Tigers: 78-69 (second in AL Central, fifth in Wild Card)
Chicago White Sox 3, Kansas City Royals 2 - F
The White Sox needed to win Tuesday to keep their distance from the Tigers, whose bats came alive against the streaky A's and hung up 12 runs.
They did just that in a closely-contested battle with the Royals.
Kansas City led early after scoring two runs to Chicago's one run in the first inning, forcing the White Sox to trail for much of the game. But Gordon Beckham tied the game up for Chicago in the sixth inning with a solo shot, which was followed by an Alex Rios homer that gave the White Sox the lead for good.
White Sox: 81-66 (first in AL Central)
Royals: 66-81 (third in AL Central, ninth in Wild Card)
Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels: 10:05 p.m. ET
The Texas Rangers have done enough through the season to give them the best record in the AL, but they still haven't locked up a playoff spot. However, it'd take nothing short of a total collapse if they were to miss the postseason.
They only hold a three-game lead over the A's and they need to play their best ball if they want to avoid squandering their slim division lead to one of the hottest teams in baseball. Oakland is 8-2 in their last 10 games.
The Los Angeles Angels have been one of the biggest victims of the A's hot streak, as they're now 7.5 games back of the division lead and three games back from the wild card. Their wins need to come now if they want to remain relevant in this race.
Two aces will face off on the mound when Ryan Dempster (11-6) takes the stage for Texas and Jared Weaver (17-4) looks for his 18th win in a game his team needs big-time.
Rangers: 87-59 (first in AL West)
Angels: 80-67 (third in AL West, third in wild card)
Baltimore Orioles at Seattle Mariners: 10:10 p.m. ET
The Orioles are fortunate enough to play Seattle late in the season with a playoff spot on the line, and they took advantage Monday night with a 10-4 victory. They look to do more of the same Tuesday.
Baltimore is tied with Oakland atop the AL wild card and, due to the new rule, they would face each other in a one-game playoff at the end of the season if it were to end today.
The Orioles are one of the big Cinderella stories of the MLB this season and they look to Wei-Yin Chen (12-9) to notch them another victory. The Yankees game was postponed, so the Orioles can tie up the AL East with a win.
Orioles: 84-62 (second in AL East, T-first in wild card)
Mariners: 70-78 (last in AL West, sixth in wild card)
Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees: Postponed
Tuesday night's game between the Yankees and Blue Jays has been postponed. They'll play a double-header on Wednesday.
Yankees: 83-63 (first in AL East)
Blue Jays: 66-79 (fourth in AL East, seventh in wild card)
National League
Miami Marlins 4, Atlanta Braves 3: F/10
The Braves had a major chance to pick up a game against one of the MLB's worst teams, but they squandered it when Jose Reyes hit a walk-off single for the Marlins, who won 4-3 in a 10-inning spectacle.
Atlanta pulled a noble comeback to even give themselves a chance. Being down 3-0 heading into the ninth inning, the Braves pulled off three straight runs to send it into extra innings thanks to a RBI single by Dan Uggla and a double by Brian McCann that scored Uggla and Chipper Jones.
It was enough to get out of the early hole, but not enough to come out with a much-needed win. The Marlins bats came alive in the 10th inning to come away with the W.
Braves: 85-64 (second in NL East, T-first in wild card)
Marlins: 65-83 (last in NL East, 10th in wild card)
Cincinnati Reds 3, Chicago Cubs 1 - F
The Cincinnati Reds are just one of a few teams who don't feel the pressure of winning due to their massive division lead, but that didn't stop them from taking care of the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday by the score of 3-2.
Neither team scored until a three-run sixth inning by the Reds that Chicago could never rally back from.
Homer Bailey picked up his 12th win of the season for the Reds, who seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect time and are undoubtedly one of the favorites to come out of the National League.
Reds: 89-59 (first in NL Central)
Cubs: 58-90 (fifth in NL Central, 12th in wild card)
St. Louis Cardinals 4, Houston Astros 1 - F
The Cardinals put a stop to their most recent bleeding with a win over a bottom-tier MLB team Tuesday night with a 4-1 victory at home over the Houston Astros.
St. Louis held Houston scoreless until the eighth inning and was never seriously contested by the hapless Astros, who became the first team in the MLB to reach 100 losses.
Cardinals ace Kyle Lohse picked up his 15th win of the season.
Astros: 48-100 (last in NL Central, last in wild card)
Cardinals: 78-70 (second in NL Central, T-first in wild card)
Colorado Rockies at San Francisco Giants: 10:15 p.m. ET
The Giants are looking to make 2011 a distant memory and bring back the warm feelings of their 2010 World Series.
With an eight-game lead in the NL West, they look to be in prime position to make a deep playoff run. Meanwhile, the Rockies have faded into the shadows in the NL and have their sights set on 2013.
One of the disheartening storylines for San Francisco this season has been the recession of Tim Lincecum. "Big Time Timmy Jim" is just 9-14 on the season and needs to turn it around before the playoffs begin.
Giants: 84-63 (first in NL West)
Rockies: 58-88 (last in NL West, 11th in wild card)
Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals: Postponed
Tuesday night's game between the Dodgers and Nationals has been postponed. They'll play a double-header on Wednesday.
Dodgers: 76-71 (second in NL West, third in wild card)
Nationals: 89-57 (first in NL East)
On Deck for Wednesday
Toronto at NY Yankees, 1:05 p.m. ET
LA Dodgers at Washington, 4:05 p.m. ET
Oakland at Detroit, 7 p.m. ET
Toronto at NY Yankees, 7:05 p.m. ET
LA Dodgers at Washington, 7:05 p.m. ET
Atlanta at Miami, 7:10 p.m. ET
Boston at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m. ET
Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 p.m. ET
Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 8:10 p.m. ET
Houston at St. Louis, 8:15 p.m. ET
Texas at LA Angels, 10 p.m. ET
Baltimore at Seattle, 10:10 p.m. ET
Colorado at San Francisco, 10:15 p.m. ET
American League Standings
|
AL East |
W |
L |
PCT |
GB |
|
NY Yankees |
83 |
63 |
.568 |
- |
|
Baltimore |
83 |
64 |
.565 |
.5 |
|
Tampa Bay |
78 |
70 |
.527 |
5.5 |
|
AL Central |
W |
L |
PCT |
GB |
|
Chicago W. Sox |
81 |
66 |
.551 |
- |
|
Detroit |
78 |
69 |
.527 |
3 |
|
Kansas City |
66 |
81 |
.449 |
14 |
|
AL West |
W |
L |
PCT |
GB |
|
Texas |
87 |
59 |
.596 |
- |
|
Oakland |
84 |
63 |
.571 |
3.5 |
|
L.A. Angels |
80 |
67 |
.544 |
7.5 |
|
AL Wild Card |
W |
L |
PCT |
GB |
|
Oakland |
84 |
63 |
.571 |
- |
|
Baltimore |
83 |
64 |
.565 |
- |
|
LA Angels |
80 |
67 |
.544 |
3 |
|
Detroit |
78 |
69 |
.531 |
5 |
|
Tampa Bay |
78 |
70 |
.527 |
5.5 |
|
Seattle |
70 |
78 |
.473 |
13.5 |
National League Standings
|
NL East |
W |
L |
PCT |
GB |
|
Washington |
89 |
57 |
.610 |
- |
|
Atlanta |
85 |
64 |
.570 |
5.5 |
|
Philadelphia |
74 |
74 |
.500 |
16 |
|
NL Central |
W |
L |
PCT |
GB |
|
Cincinnati |
89 |
59 |
.601 |
- |
|
St. Louis |
78 |
70 |
.527 |
11 |
|
Milwaukee |
75 |
72 |
.510 |
13.5 |
|
Pittsburgh |
74 |
73 |
.503 |
14.5 |
|
NL West |
W |
L |
PCT |
GB |
|
San Francisco |
84 |
63 |
.571 |
- |
|
L.A. Dodgers |
76 |
71 |
.517 |
8 |
|
Arizona |
72 |
74 |
.493 |
11.5 |
|
NL Wild Card |
W |
L |
PCT |
GB |
|
Atlanta |
85 |
64 |
.570 |
- |
|
St. Louis |
78 |
70 |
.527 |
- |
|
L.A. Dodgers |
76 |
71 |
.517 |
1 |
|
Milwaukee |
74 |
72 |
.507 |
2.5 |
|
Pittsburgh |
74 |
72 |
.507 |
2.5 |
|
Philadelphia |
74 |
74 |
.500 |
3.5 |
|
Arizona |
72 |
74 |
.493 |
4.5 |
|
San Diego |
71 |
76 |
.483 |
6 |
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