If they beat the Astros today, back in the third wildcard spot. Then they just have to beat the Rangers…
fingers and toes crossed
My fear is they beat the Astros, beat Texas, and Astros end up winning the West.
I wanted the Mariners to win the West. At this point, a wildcard spot would probably be the best we can hope for.
And lose the game in the worst possible way…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ5phrfmimM&t=8s
And the Mariners walk off the Rangers with a 2-run 2-out single, saving their season.
With 3 games to go, Houston trails Texas by 2 games in the AL West. Seattle is a game behind Houston. Astros trail the Blue Jays by a game in the WC race. Down to the wire it goes.
Absolutely remarkable that teams often end up this close in the standings in a 162-game season. Baseball. What a game!
yeah, i remember some years that everything was decided like a week after the all-star break …i guess that’s why they came up with the “wild card"scenario” …
It’s just nuts that any of 3 teams could win the division. Total rock-paper-scissors on head to head tie-breakers - Astros over the Rangers over the Mariners over the Astros. Even crazier that the division could still end up a 3-way tie, which would go to Seattle.
The Mariners are eliminated; all playoff teams are set. The only thing left to determine is the ranking of the last two wild cards in the AL (Houston and Toronto) and the last two in the NL (Miami and Arizona.)
I doubt any of those four teams are going to exert much effort to establish their seeding.
Miami has scored 53 runs fewer than they have allowed; I don’t know that any team in baseball history made the playoffs with a worse run differential.
I have about as much faith in the Blue Jays getting anywhere in the playoffs as I do in winning the lottery tonight, and I didn’t buy a ticket. I am amazed they’ve won 89 games.
Not quite set on the wild cards.
The AL West will be decided on the final day. If the Rangers lose and the Astros win (giving both teams 90 wins), Houston wins the division on the head to head tie-breaker. Otherwise, the Rangers win the division. So both teams will definitely have motivation to exert some effort with a bye in the wild card round and home field in the ALDS at stake.
Actually, more than that, if that situation occurs plus the Blue Jays win, the Rangers not only fall to a wild card spot but also the #6 and play the wild card away since they’d lose on the 3-way 90 win tie breaker against both other teams.
My hometown Norfolk Tides won the AAA National Championship tonight with a 7-6 win over the Oklahoma City Dodgers.
They were up 7-2 going into the bottom of the 9th and almost blew it, but held on.
Well they are fielding a team loaded with Top 100 prospects.
You’re right; I thought Texas had the tiebreaker over Houston but they do not.
That makes today’s Texas and Houston games VERY meaningful. The West champ skips the first round entirely. For Texas, winning today is the equivalent of winning an entire playoff series; for Houston, it might mean that.
Being a Wild Card means they have to be on the road no matter what; if Houston catches them they go on the road, the only question is to where. Tampa Bay is the only Wild Card team that will host.
The Blue Jays game could affect WHERE they travel to, but not that they would have to travel.
The Blue Jays have to go on the road no matter what so they’re going to rest everyone they can; they might even make a roster move today to bring up someone to eat innings.
As an aside, I liked it more when teams could bring up an absolute crapload of September temps. The Jays will have to play some regulars today because they just don’t have that many bench guys. It would be nice to see a whole swath of minor league guys get a chance to start.
In 1985, the last game of the season between the Jays and Yankees didn’t mean anything because the Jays clinched the day before, so the Jays sent out kids, including a few guys who became MLB regulars: Cecil Fielder, Kelly Gruber, Manny Lee, and John Cerutti. That was neat. Even neater was that Phil Niekro pitched a complete game shutout for the Yankees for his 300th career win.
Here is the moment. Niekro is 46 here and he looks 66.
The Dodgers actually have a meaningful game today in a small way. They have 99 wins and the Rays have 98 wins. The Rays won the season series. The Dodgers need more wins than the Rays to get home field advantage if they should both get to the World Series.
I remember that one well. Niekro didn’t throw a single knuckleball all game until the final batter. Then he threw three of them.
At least in the first round. The seeding can potentially make a difference in the ALCS and it affects potential matchups in the ALDS. Though that’s not something to try to plan around, especially when it requires help from other teams.
That said, it came to pass. The Astros won the division on tie-breakers and the Rangers are the #5 WC and playing the Rays for the chance to advance to play against the Orioles. With the Blue Jays losing, they’ll be the #6 at the Twins playing for the chance to advance to play against the Astros
Blue Jay fans are happy they’re playing Minnesota. I say that’s madness; I’d rather have played the Rays. Yes, superficially it appears the Rays are way better, but their best player is gone, their pitching staff has many injuries. They aren’t as good as they could be. Minnesota had a great September and their pitching is nicely lined up.
Michigan resident, but I don’t follow baseball. However, even I heard all about Miguel Cabrera’s final game.
So, he took first base in the final inning and even made the final out. They said it was his first time playing defense(fielding) since 2021.
Why? He could only hit at the end of his career?
Like many players who are in the twilight of their careers, Cabrera could still consistently hit the ball, but his fielding was a liability. The DH position was perfect for guys like him.
Cabrera couldn’t field or hit for at least the past three seasons, but they were paying him $32 million/year so they kept on giving him at-bats. Letting him play defense in a meaningless game was just a chance for one last lovefest with the fans.
Wow, was he really bad at the end of his career? Why didn’t they take an option out? I assume they had no option to drop him without paying him the big bucks?