MLB postseason picture: Rockies overtake Dodgers in NL race
The final week of the MLB season is upon us and there are still a few things up in the air for the postseason. Every night between now and the end of the season on Sunday, we’ll bring you an updated look at the MLB postseason picture.
We have a new leader in the National League West — which shouldn’t be much of a surprise if you’re following the NL pennant chase and the chaos contained within it.
The Colorado Rockies leap-frogged the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, taking a half-game lead in the division. To make that happen, the Rockies walloped the Philadelphia Phillies 14-0 behind an outstanding pitcher performance from German Márquez, who struck out the first eight batters he faced.
The Dodgers didn’t help themselves either, losing to the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-2. The Dodgers started off fine, jumping to a 2-0 lead, but starter Ross Stripling gave up three runs in the second inning and the Dodgers went to the bullpen. L.A.’s offense couldn’t muster any more runs, while the D-backs piled on.
It was the Rockies’ sixth straight win and the Dodgers’ second straight loss — a perfect combination for Colorado to take over the division lead. The Dodgers are still postseason hopefuls, however, sliding down into the second NL wild-card spot. But in the volatile NL, October still isn’t a given for L.A.
The state of the other MLB races
• NL Central: The Brewers and Cubs both clinched postseason spots Wednesday, but the question remains who will win the division. The Cubs have a half-game lead, which they’ll be looking to increase Thursday in their series finale with the Pirates. The second-place Brewers are idle, which gives the Cubs a chance to make their lead a solid game. No matter what happens Thursday, neither team can clinch until Saturday.
• NL wild card: Given the NL West mess, the wild card is also in upheaval. The Brewers, with their win, have a four-game lead for the top spot, meaning it’s a pretty good bet they’ll host. The Dodgers currently hold the second spot, but the Cardinals are only a game behind.
• AL wild card: The A’s made up the game they lost to the Yankees on Tuesday. Oakland beat the Mariners and the Yankees lost to the Rays. The Yankees’ lead to host the AL wild-card game stands at 1.5 games.
Already clinched
• AL Central: The Cleveland Indians have had it clinched for a couple weeks. They were the first team to win their division.
• AL East: The Red Sox have clinched the division title plus home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
• AL West: The Houston Astros clinched the division title Tuesday night when the A’s lost, but celebrated after their game Wednesday in Toronto.
• NL East: The only thing that’s for sure in the National League? The Braves are the NL East champs.
If the playoffs started today
Wild-card games: A’s at Yankees; Dodgers at Brewers
ALDS: Indians vs. Astros; wild-card winner vs. Red Sox
NLDS: Rockies vs. Braves; wild-card winner vs. Cubs
Elimination watch
The Cardinals, with their loss Wednesday, were eliminated from the NL Central race. They remain alive in the wild-card race. They’re also the NL postseason outsider, at the moment, with an elimination of three.
Thursday’s must-see game
The Rockies have a chance to widen their NL West lead — or fall back into a tie with the Dodgers. The Dodgers have an off-day, but the Rockies finish their series with the Phillies in Denver. First pitch is 3:10 p.m. ET. Jake Arrieta will pitch for the Phillies against Antonio Senzatela for the Rockies.
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Mike Oz is a writer at Yahoo Sports. Contact him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
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