Season-closing frenzy cements October field

Scoreboard Sunday — a day when all of our eyes were affixed to the myriad postseason possibilities still present in the final hours of the Major League season — was Surprisingly Straightforward Sunday. By the end of the 15-game slate, all of the postseason seeds were wrapped up in a nice, tidy bow.

In a “win and you’re in” scenario, the Blue Jays, Orioles and Giants all won and, yes, are in. And with home-field advantage in the American League Division Series up for grabs, the Indians won while the Red Sox lost, so that series will start in Cleveland.

•  Final regular-season standings

Because the Blue Jays, O’s and Giants all took care of business, there will be no two-team or three-team tiebreakers in the Wild Card races, something that was a distinct possibility going into the day. Nor will there be any need for the Indians and Tigers to make up a rained-out game on Monday, because nothing would be at stake in that game, after all.

So this is what the final postseason picture looks like:

AMERICAN LEAGUE Wild Card Game: Orioles at Blue Jays, 8 p.m. ET, Tuesday (TBD) Division Series 1: Rangers vs. Orioles or Blue Jays, begins Thursday at Texas …

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