The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team in baseball to clinch a playoff spot as they won their seventh straight National League West division title by beating the Baltimore Orioles, 7-3 on Tuesday evening. The rest of the division races are pretty much locked up, with the exception of the Central races in each league.The New York Yankees currently have the best record in the major leagues and the Houston Astros are just one game behind the Bronx Bombers for the home field edge in the American League playoffs. The Astros lost three of four games this week (at home) against the red hot Oakland A's, who lead the wild card chase.
The A's have a one-half game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays while the Cleveland Indians are one game back of Oakland. The Indians have a huge three game set at home against the first place Minnesota Twins this weekend. The game on Friday night was rained out. Minnesota lost two of three games at home against the Washington Nationals earlier this week.
The Nationals were shut out by the Atlanta Braves, 5-0 on Friday as Max Scherzer took the loss. The Braves continue to roll in the N.L. East and lead the Nats by 9 1/2 games. Atlanta is 7-3 in their last ten games and their magic number to clinch a second consecutive division title is six.
The Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers are chasing the St. Louis Cardinals in the N.L. Central race. The Brewers got back into the thick of things by taking three of four games at home against the Cubs last weekend. They then swept a four-game set on the road against the lowly Miami Marlins to run their winning streak to seven games before getting drilled 10-0 in St. Louis on Friday night.
Paul Goldschmidt smashed a pair of home runs (including a grand slam) and had seven RBI to lead the way. The Cardinals lead the Cubs by four games and Milwaukee by five games.
The wild card race continues to be close as Washington is in the top spot with the Cubs in the second spot. The Philadelphia Phillies are 2 1/2 games back of Chicago and the New York Mets are three out. The Arizona Diamondbacks followed a sizzling hot streak with their current six-game losing streak and have fallen 4 1/2 games back in the chase for the final wild card spot. The D-Backs were swept in New York by the Mets in a four game series this week.
On Friday in Wrigley Field, the Cubs rolled the Pittsburgh Pirates, 17-9 as they smashed five home runs, including a grand slam by Anthony Rizzo and a pair of homers by Willson Contreras. The Mets lost on Friday night at home to the Dodgers, 9-2 as Noah Syndergaard was roughed up and lost the decision to Dodgers ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw. Arizona fell to the Cincinnati Reds, 4-3 while Philadelphia was idle. The Phillies play at home in a brief two game set against the Boston Red Sox in inter league play this weekend.
AL STANDINGS (through September 13) NL STANDINGS (through September 13)
East East
New York 97-52 Atlanta 92-57
Tampa Bay 88-61 Washington 81-65
Boston 77-70 Philadelphia 76-70
Toronto 58-90 New York 76-71
Baltimore 48-99 Miami 51-96
Central Central
Minnesota 89-57 St. Louis 83-64
Cleveland 86-61 Chicago 79-68
Chicago 65-82 Milwaukee 78-69
Kansas City 55-93 Cincinnati 69-79
Detroit 43-103 Pittsburgh 65-83
West West
Houston 96-53 x-LA Dodgers 96-53
Oakland 88-60 Arizona 75-73
Texas 74-75 San Francisco 71-77
LA Angels 67-81 San Diego 68-79
Seattle 60-88 Colorado 63-85
x-clinched division title
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