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Three clubs can punch postseason tickets today
- Updated: October 1, 2016
Six teams already have won their divisions and stamped tickets to the Division Series, but the four spots in the American League and National League Wild Card Games remain up for grabs.
That could change today, when the Orioles, Mets and Giants all have opportunities to clinch postseason berths outright. Home-field advantage also hangs in the balance for some playoff matchups, so there is plenty to watch over the final two days of the regular season. Accordingly, every game this weekend can be streamed free on MLB.TV.
Here’s where we stand heading into today:
American League Wild Card
After the Orioles lost their series opener in Toronto on Tuesday, they sat two games behind the Blue Jays for the top AL Wild Card spot. Since then, that race has flipped, with the O’s taking the final two games at Rogers Centre, then cracking three fifth-inning home runs in an 8-1 victory at Yankee Stadium on Friday night. Meanwhile, the Jays lost their third in a row, falling 5-3 at Fenway Park on David Ortiz’s go-ahead two-run homer.
Baltimore now has a one-game lead on Toronto for the top Wild Card position and is 1 1/2 up on Detroit and two up on Seattle. If the Orioles win today, and either the Jays or Tigers lose, they will clinch a postseason berth. If the O’s win and both of those clubs lose, they would then be guaranteed to host the Wild Card Game at Camden Yards.
On the other hand, should Toronto pull even in the standings, it would have the edge because by winning the teams’ season series, it owns the tiebreaker if they finish deadlocked for the two Wild Card spots.
Meanwhile, the Tigers got two homers from Miguel Cabrera and picked up a 6-2 win at Atlanta on Friday. A half-game behind …
