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• #2016 postseason mlb schedule series

These races tend to figure themselves out before those types of extreme scenarios come into play, though. It's still possible there could be a four-way tie in the AL and a three-way tie in the NL to get sorted out next week. Ultimately, the close races paired with the Tigers' potential need for a make-up game Monday could make for a scheduling nightmare for MLB. Two wins should at least force a playoff, and they hold a pitching edge in both remaining games against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

#2016 postseason mlb schedule series

The Cardinals have been a model of consistency for almost two decades, highlighted by a pair of World Series titles. Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda are slated to start the final two games against the Giants' 19th-ranked offense. The Los Angeles Dodgers' decision not to rest their starting pitchers quite as aggressively as the aforementioned Cubs could hurt San Francisco, though. Louis Cardinals to fight for one berth with the Giants currently holding a one-game edge. They need one win over the final two days with Bartolo Colon and Noah Syndergaard slated to start against a Philadelphia Phillies squad that's lost five straight.Īssuming New York gets in, that leaves the San Francisco Giants and St. It's hard to see the reigning NL champion New York Mets missing out. The National League race is a bit less crowded with just three teams battling for the two spots, but all of them are legitimate World Series threats if they do sneak in. Winning both would force either Toronto or Detroit to win out to finish above the Mariners' potential 88 victories.Īll told, the Orioles and Tigers feel like the teams in the best position, but there will probably be some chaos before the dust settles Sunday and possibly beyond. It owns a clear pitching advantage in both weekend games against the Oakland Athletics. They still control their own destiny despite the struggles over the past few days, but it can be tough to break out of a funk as the pressure continues to mount, particularly when playing on the road against the division-winning Boston Red Sox. The biggest question really surrounds the Blue Jays. The Orioles have Kevin Gausman on the mound against the New York Yankees' Luis Cessa on Sunday, a clear edge just in case they lose Saturday. It owns a one-game advantage for the top wild-card spot, meaning a 1-1 finish should be enough to get in. The Tigers are facing the Atlanta Braves, who have played better lately but still own the league's third-worst record and are now focused on getting young players some at-bats.īaltimore is also in promising shape. The schedule is favorable to Detroit, which may be forced to play an additional make-up game Monday against the Cleveland Indians. It's pushed Toronto to the brink after looking pretty safe coming into the final week. In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners are all riding three-game winning streaks (as of Friday) while the Toronto Blue Jays are on a three-game skid.

That said, the main focus right now is on the wild-card chase. It's one of those intangible factors all of the division winners are dealing with over the final days, and it could play a major role early in the postseason. These are the kind of things that are kind of outside of your control. And then again, the rest might just do somebody really good.

Now, of course, it may be difficult or rusty or whatever you want to call it. It's just up to us to handle it properly.

That's always been the major complaint I've heard. Managers are tasked with doing their best to ensure no major injuries occur after clinching the division, but too many days of rest can hurt a rhythm that's allowed the team to have success all season.Ĭubs skipper Joe Maddon explained his thought process to Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago when asked about starters like Jake Arrieta and John Lackey going almost two weeks between outings by the time the postseason arrives: The NL Central champions are the only team to reach 100 wins and own a ridiculous plus-252 run differential.Īs always, however, the age-old debate about rest vs. The Chicago Cubs are going to enter the playoffs as the clear favorite (+220 moneyline, via Odds Shark), regardless of which teams earn the remaining berths over the next couple of days.