Why the last week of the season matters
With three games to play on the MLB regular season schedule, all six divisions are locked up. All but two playoff spots have been guaranteed, and the biggest story in baseball involves the complete collapse of one of America’s most popular teams. The playoffs start Friday… why care til then?
But these last three games of the season could have major playoff implications, and ultimately could help decide which guys are sizing rings by the end of the month. We take a look at five reasons why the last week of the MLB season matters.
(1) Why the Cards Comeback is doable
St. Louis was out of it. After losing seven of nine in mid-August to the Pirates, Cubs, and Dodgers, it seemed like another silent October at the Arch. But a September resurgence and Atlanta’s inability to close has allowed the Cards to sneak back into the race. St. Louis has won 14 of their last 18, including sweeping Atlanta and taking three out of four from the Phillies. They’ve earned their way to one game back, and are rewarded with a three game series with Houston to close the season. Meanwhile, Atlanta hosts Philadelphia to close the season, and is expected to face Cliff Lee, Roy Oswald, and Cole Hamels in their final three games. So, the Braves have a one game lead, but face the MLB’s best while St. Louis takes on the league’s only 100-game loser. This race will go down to the wire.
(2) Why the AL Wild Card race means something for everyone
The Red Sox collapse has reached epic proportions, dropping to an abysmal 6-18 in the month of September, matching the same September record as the historically horrible 1962 Mets. Yet Boston still clings to a one game lead going into the season’s final three games. Tampa Bay plays host to the Yankees this week, a team that has beaten the Rays nine out of 15 times this season. Meanwhile, Boston visits Baltimore, and the Red Sox have won nine of 15 against the O’s this year. The rest of the league will keep a close eye on this race – a tie would elicit a one game tie-breaker Thursday in Tampa. The winner would then travel to either Texas or Detroit for Game 1 of the ALDS on Friday, likely an afternoon game.
(3) Why Arizona is underrated
This year’s textbook worst-to-first story in Arizona includes a few veterans in the bullpen, a few young guns proving themselves in the field, and the game’s quietist 20-game winner on the mound. But the story of the team undoubtedly starts at the top, where general manager Kevin Towers and manager Kirk Gibson have worked wonders in their first year together. This is a team – a team with a who’s who of former players for a coaching staff – that has performed well against other NL playoff squads. If the playoffs started today, the snakes would visit Philadelphia for the NLDS. No other team scares the Phillies more – Arizona has beaten Lee, Oswald, and Roy Halladay during the regular season. And if the Cardinals do come back to win the Wild Card, it would pit Arizona against Milwaukee. The D-Backs own that season series 4-3.
(4) Why the Rangers need home field
Texas has locked up the AL West, Detroit has nailed down the AL Central, and the New York Yankees have the AL East and the league’s best record. But Texas and Detroit are locked in a battle for second best record, and the right to home field advantage in the first round. With the Wild Card all but guaranteed to come out of the East, the Yankees will host the third place team starting Friday in New York. The second place team will have home field in their series against the Wild Card winner. For Texas, the distinction is huge. The Rangers are 2-7 this year against New York (1-5 at Yankee Stadium), while they hold a 5-4 advantage over Boston. For Detroit, it’s reversed. The Tigers are 4-3 against New York, but just 1-6 against the Red Sox this year. Both teams have a winning record against Tampa Bay (Detroit is 6-1, Texas 5-4).
(5) Why Dodgers games still mean something
Coming into Sunday’s games, Dodgers OF Matt Kemp is just a few points shy of the National League triple crown. Kemp leads the NL in RBI with 119, shares the NL home run lead with the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols at 37, and sits just six points behind the Brewers’ Ryan Braun for the batting title (.329 to Braun’s .335). This comes thanks to an explosive September, where Kemp is batting .357 with 6 HR and 17 RBI. Add a career high 40 stolen bases to his ledger, and you’ve got one of the game’s most dynamic players and the best non-contender MVP candidate in the MLB.
