MLB Playoff Picture: 3 things to know from Wednesday

Every night, we look around Major League Baseball and identify three things you need to know about the playoff races. Here's what happened Wednesday:

Red Sox go worst to 1st

One season after finishing last in the American League East with a 78-84 record, the Boston Red Sox are division champions. Boston lost a heart-breaker Wednesday at Yankee Stadium on a walk-off grand slam courtesy of Mark Teixeira, but still clinched the division crown thanks to a Toronto Blue Jays loss. Boston still has home-field advantage to play for as the season winds down, and currently sits 1 1/2 games back of the Texas Rangers for top spot in the AL.

Tigers singing in the rain

The Detroit Tigers haven't enjoyed much luck against the division-rival Cleveland Indians this season, only managing to win four of 18 contests in 2016, but they had Mother Nature on their side Wednesday. The Tigers received a go-ahead three-run homer courtesy of Miguel Cabrera, enough to claim victory in a five-inning contest that ended abruptly due to rain. Detroit's win moved it within one game of the Baltimore Orioles for the final AL wild-card spot, with four left to play this season.

Giants can't gain ground on Mets

The San Francisco Giants are in the midst of a heated race with the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals, and didn't help their cause Wednesday in getting shut out by Tyler Chatwood and the Colorado Rockies. Chatwood dominated the Giants over eight innings of work, which included nine strikeouts, as San Francisco fell 1 1/2 games back of the Mets for the top wild-card spot in the NL. Luckily for San Francisco, the Cardinals also lost (to the lowly Cincinnati Reds), keeping the Giants a game in front for the final playoff spot.

If the playoffs started today:

x - clinched playoff berth
y - clinched division
z - clinched division and best record in league

Race to clinch the division: