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Unlike tomorrow, when all the games take place simultaneously for the purposes of artificially increasing tension, today see the usual spread of times. We’ve already seen some significant results. First, the Cardinals kept their post-season hopes alive by beating the Cubs 2-1 at Wrigley. That also means if the Brewers can beat the Tigers (that contest is in its early stages), they will be tied with the Cubs for first place going into the final game. However, St. Louis’s lifeline proved short lived, as the Dodgers are about to beat the Giants, despite San Francisco scoring five runs off Clayton Kershaw. That will eliminate the Cardinals and gives LA at least a wild-card spot.
It also means the NL West title will go to the last day. The Rockies are playing the Nationals in Coors, and a win would keep them one game up, and mean they can do no worse than a play-in game versus the Dodgers. Lose, and those two sides will also be tied after 161 games, with everything to play for on the final day. In the event of a tie in either - or, perhaps both - of those divisions, the winner will move on to the NLDS, while the loser(s) then has to face another elimination game in the NL Wild-card, to see who then goes on to meet the winner of the Cubs-Brewers showdown. The winner in the West will face the Atlanta Braves, though home-field advantage there is still also undecided.
It’s all quite glorious carnage, and can only be admired. Meanwhile, in a quiet little baseball backwater called San Diego, the D-backs and the Padres will take part in a contest of absolutely no relevance to anyone else. To say interest will be low, even among fans of the two teams seems like an understatement. Unlike last night, we can’t even say “this might be X’s last start for Arizona,” since it seems doubtful Zack Godley is going anywhere. We’ll save all that for tomorrow, when there are a whole bunch of people for whom that might be true. Tonight, all we’ve got is the quest to summit Mt. .500 for the second season in a row. Pardon me while I restrain my enthusiasm.