MLB postseason picture: Braves inch closer to playoff berth with win over Phillies
September is upon us, which means every race in Major League Baseball is headed for the home stretch. Every game matters more than ever to the teams competing for a postseason spot. That’s why every night between now and the end of the regular season we’ll bring you an updated look at the MLB postseason picture.
The Atlanta Braves wasted no time Thursday night proving they are the class of the National League East. The team took it to the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies, picking up an 8-3 win. With the victory, the Braves reduced their magic number to four.
Lucas Duda broke a 3-3 tie with a double in the seventh. In the eighth, the team’s bats came alive. The Braves added four more runs against the Phillies’ bullpen, sealing the game and inching closer to a division title.
If Atlanta gets its way, the division will be wrapped up before the end of the weekend. Thursday’s game was the first in a four-game series the Braves will play against the Phillies. With two more wins over Philadelphia, Atlanta can wrap up the division.
Magic Number Countdown
• Atlanta Braves — 4: The Braves lowered their magic number to four with a win over the Phillies on Thursday. They can clinch the NL East this weekend if they can take two more games from their division rival.
• Houston Astros — 7: The Astros are next in line to clinch their division after the Braves. While the Athletics won Thursday, the Astros’ magic number did not change.
The state of the other MLB races
• AL West:The Oakland Athletics moved a half game closer to the Houston Astros on Thursday with a 21-3 drubbing against the Los Angeles Angels. The Astros did not play Thursday, but will begin a series against the Angels on Friday. The Astros lead the American League West by 3.5 games.
• AL Wild Card: The A’s win pushed them closer to taking down the New York Yankees for the top wild-card spot in the American League. The Yankees dropped a game to the Red Sox, putting them just 1.5 games ahead of the A’s for the first wild card in the AL.
• NL Central: The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers did not play Thursday night. The Cubs lead the National League Central by 2.5 games.
• NL West:The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies were dormant Thursday. Los Angeles holds a 2.5-game lead over Colorado heading into the weekend.
• NL Wild Card:There was no change in the National League wild-card race. Milwaukee remains three games up for the top wild-card spot in the NL. The St. Louis Cardinals did not play Thursday, so the team kept its 1.5-game lead over the Rockies for the second wild-card spot.
Already clinched
• Cleveland Indians: Everything is coming up Cleveland these days. The Indians were were the first Major League Baseball team to clinch their division and the Cleveland Browns won their first game in over 600 days Thursday night. The Indians are hoping to give the city another big celebration in October.
• Boston Red Sox: With their win over the Yankees on Thursday, the Red Sox clinched the American League East. That was the expected result since June, as the Red Sox have dominated baseball this season. The Yankees gave them a good run, but couldn’t hold the Red Sox off any longer.
If the playoffs started today
Wild-card games: A’s at Yankees; Cardinals at Brewers
ALDS: Indians at Astros; Wild-card winner vs. Red Sox
NLDS: Dodgers vs. Braves; Wild-card winner vs. Cubs
Elimination watch
With their loss Thursday, the Yankees were eliminated from winning the AL East. That’s been the expected outcome for a while. The Yankees have been fighting to keep the top wild-card spot in the AL from the Athletics since September started. They are still in fantastic shape to make the playoffs.
Friday’s must-see game
The Braves and Phillies will go at it again Friday night. With a win, the Braves can reduce their magic number to two games. Julio Teheran will take the mound for Atlanta. The Phillies will counter with Nick Pivetta.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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