Last night the Pirates and Reds clinched the playoffs. Now the only races to watch are the NL Central race, and who will get home field in the Wild Card game. The Cardinals won again tonight as Michael Wacha came one out away from a no hitter. They kept their two game lead, and as outlined below, it will be hard to catch them in their final four games. The Pirates beat up on the Cubs, while the Reds lost to the Mets 4-2, with Vic Black getting his first career save. That combo puts the Pirates one game up in the Wild Card race for home field advantage.
NL Central
Cardinals 2, Nationals 0
Pirates 8, Cubs 2
Mets 4, Reds 2
The Cardinals retained their two game lead in the NL Central over the Pirates, and now have a three game lead over the Reds. The magic number for the Cardinals is three, and two against Cincinnati. Here are the records the rest of the way for the Pirates to clinch the division:
Pirates 4-0, Cardinals 1-3
Pirates 3-1, Cardinals 0-4
The only way the Pirates can clinch is if the Cardinals basically lose out and the Pirates win out. A tie seems like a scenario that could actually be possible. Here are the records to see the two teams tied for the NL Central.
Pirates 4-0, Cardinals 2-2
Pirates 3-1, Cardinals 1-3
Pirates 2-2, Cardinals 0-4
Keep in mind that the Cardinals have one game remaining against the Nationals (who have nothing to play for) and three this weekend against the Cubs. So going 1-3 or 0-4 might not be possible.
Wild Card
Pirates 8, Cubs 2
Mets 4, Reds 2
The Pirates took a one game lead over the Reds tonight for the top Wild Card spot. With the Nationals eliminated last night, these two teams will meet in the Wild Card game (unless one team wins the division, obviously). Tomorrow’s games could be huge. If the Pirates gain another game on Cincinnati tomorrow, then they would just have to win one game this weekend against the Reds to clinch home field in the Wild Card game. If that doesn’t happen, then there’s no scenario where the Pirates could get home field this weekend without taking at least two of three against the Reds.
Playoff Seeding
Braves 3, Brewers 2
Cardinals 2, Nationals 0
Dodgers/Padres In Action
The Braves and Cardinals both won, so the standings don’t change. The Dodgers are still playing their game against Padres, but there’s no way they can move out of third place.
1. Atlanta
2. St. Louis
3. Los Angeles
4. Pittsburgh
5. Cincinnati
