Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina. (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
With a little over two weeks until the postseason begins on Oct. 5 with the AL Wild Card game, let’s take a look at the Wild Card hunt.
There’s exactly 15 days left until the AL Wild Card game on Oct. 5 and there’s a lot that will happen in MLB between now and then. The San Francisco Giants (97-53), Milwaukee Brewers (91-58) and Los Angeles Dodgers (96-54) have all secured playoff berths in the NL.
After going to a 16-team playoff format during the 2020 season because of the pandemic, the playoffs are back to its usual 10-team format. If the season ended yesterday on Sept. 19 2021, the Boston Red Sox (86-65) would face the Toronto Blue Jays (84-65) in the AL Wild Card game and the Los Angeles Dodgers (96-54) would host the St. Louis Cardinals (79-69) in the NL Wild Card game.
MLB Wild Card update: September 20
The NL East remains one of the tightest races in the league with the Atlanta Braves (77-70) holding a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies (76-73). The Braves play against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight and the Phillies will host the Baltimore Orioles. The New York Mets (73-77) have fallen behind the pack just a bit, but will take on the Red Sox Sept. 21.
There’s also a tough race happening in the AL East. The New York Yankees (83-67) are only one game behind the Blue Jays and three games behind the Red Sox. Toronto will matchup against the AL East leader Tampa Bay tonight for a three-game series, so the Yankees may be in luck. That is only if New York can hold its own against the Texas Rangers.
If you’re a fan of baseball, there’s a number of games going on with a lot on the line. The race to the finish line will be a wild one.