Playoff Picture: Martin's blast lifts Pirates to season-high 5th straight win
Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports
Every night we take a look around the league and recap pennant and wild card races in baseball.
Here's a look at how Friday's slate affected the playoff picture in the majors:
American League
- The Orioles previously clinched the AL East.
AL Central | Record | GB | Games Left |
---|---|---|---|
Tigers | 85-68 | - | 9 |
Royals | 83-69 | 1.5 | 10 |
- Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander returned to vintage form, hurling 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Royals in a 10-1 blowout at Kauffman Stadium.
- The Angels previously clinched the AL West.
AL Wild Card | Record | GB | Games Left |
---|---|---|---|
Athletics | 84-69 | 0.5 | 9 |
Royals | 83-69 | - | 10 |
Mariners | 83-70 | 0.5 | 9 |
Indians | 79-74 | 4.5 | 9 |
Yankees | 79-74 | 4.5 | 9 |
- Jon Lester (7 IP, 5 H, ER, 7 K) helped the Athletics take back control of the first wild-card spot with a 3-1 win over the Phillies.
- Dustin Ackley, Mike Zunino and Kyle Seager homered for the Mariners as they routed the Astros 10-5 to move within a half-game of the Royals.
- The Indians fell 5-4 in 10 innings to the Twins to put their playoff hopes on life support.
- The Yankees marched to a third straight victory with a 5-3 decision over the Blue Jays but may have lost Jacoby Ellsbury to a potential season-ending hamstring injury.
If the playoffs started today...
Wild Card: Royals at Athletics
Division Series: Wild Card at Angels, Tigers at Orioles
National League
- The Nationals previously clinched the NL East
NL Central | Record | GB | Games Left |
---|---|---|---|
Cardinals | 86-68 | - | 8 |
Pirates | 83-70 | 2.5 | 9 |
Brewers | 79-75 | 7 | 8 |
- The Cardinals stayed 2 1/2 games up with a 2-1 nailbiter over the Reds to lower their magic number to seven to clinch a second consecutive division title.
- Russell Martin's three-run homer in the eighth inning lifted the Bucs to a 4-2 victory over the Brewers. The Pirates have now won a season-high five straight games and 12 of their last 14.
NL West | Record | GB | Games Left |
---|---|---|---|
Dodgers | 88-66 | - | 8 |
Giants | 84-69 | 3.5 | 9 |
- The Dodgers clinched a playoff spot with a 14-5 rout of the Cubs combined with the Brewers' loss to the Pirates. L.A. also increased its lead on the Giants, who fell 5-0 to the lowly Padres.
NL Wild Card | Record | GB | Games Left |
---|---|---|---|
Giants | 84-69 | 1 | 9 |
Pirates | 83-70 | - | 9 |
Brewers | 79-75 | 4.5 | 8 |
- The Pirates closed the gap to one game on the Giants for the top wild-card spot, while the Brewers continue fall further off the pace.
If the playoffs started today...
Wild Card: Pirates at Giants
Division Series: Wild Card at Nationals, Cardinals at Dodgers