Keeping our Eye on the Ball
It’s hard to remember when there was a better ending to a regular baseball season.
In the National League things are nothing short of nuts. A full 157 games into the season and in the NL there are still no guaranteed playoff spots. The Arizona Diamondbacks, the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets are all only two games up with five to play. Arizona has the best shot at clinching first, sending their top three pitchers against the Pirates who have lost nine straight. But after that, if they don’t get it done, they face a red hot Colorado. The Mets, who just can’t seem to clinch and are driving their fans to distraction, have to get past three teams spoiling to be spoilers, Washington, St. Louis and Florida. As for Chicago, who play all their remaining games on the road, that silence you hear is every Cubs fan everywhere holding their collective breaths.
The Wild Card chase is, not surprisingly, wild. The San Diego Padres looked like they were a lock until a four game losing streak. The Rockies are peaking at the perfect time winning nine in a row. As a result they, along with the Phillies, are just one game back. Even Atlanta is still in it, climbing within three games of the Wild Card.
All that boils down to this: With just the rest of the week to go, it is still realistic that all three current division leaders could be left out of the playoffs when the final game is played.
