MLB Playoff Picture: 3 things to know from Monday
Every night, we look around Major League Baseball and identify three things you need to know about the playoff races. Here's what happened Monday:
Red Sox pad AL East lead
The Boston Red Sox continued their September dominance with help from some familiar faces.
Mookie Betts hit his eighth home run at Camden Yards this season, David Ortiz went deep to set the single-season homer record for a player aged 40 or older, and Rick Porcello picked up his MLB-leading 21st win of the season in a 5-2 victory over the Orioles.
The win was the fifth straight for the Red Sox, who are 12-5 in September and head into Tuesday with a four-game lead over the Orioles and Blue Jays in the division.
Another Giant(s) collapse
On the same day manager Terry Collins announced Noah Syndergaard would start a potential wild-card game for the Mets, the right-hander was hammered by the lowly Atlanta Braves.
Syndergaard tied a season high after allowing five runs off eight hits and three walks in the 7-3 loss, but the Mets still hold a one-game advantage over the Giants in the wild card, as San Francisco blew its 30th save of the season in a 2-1 loss to the Dodgers. Los Angeles now holds a six-game lead in the NL West.
Not only did the Giants fail to gain ground on the Mets, but with their loss and the Cardinals' win, St. Louis moved into a tie with San Francisco for the second wild-card spot.
Estrada gets Blue Jays back on track
Marco Estrada's one-hit gem was enough to help the slumping Blue Jays to a 3-2 win over the red-hot Mariners.
Estrada's no-hitter was broken up in the seventh and Roberto Osuna converted his 34th save of the season to help the Blue Jays move back into a tie with the Orioles for top wild-card spot in the AL.
The Astros rallied to score two in the ninth to beat the Athletics 4-2. Houston and Seattle now sit three behind the Orioles and Blue Jays.
The Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees both had the night off and sit 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 games back in the wild-card race respectively.
If the playoffs started today:
| SERIES | AWAY | HOME |
|---|---|---|
| AL WC | Orioles | Blue Jays |
| NL WC | SF or STL | Mets |
| ALDS | BAL or TOR | Rangers |
| ALDS | Red Sox | Indians |
| NLDS | NYM/SF/STL | x-Cubs |
| NLDS | Dodgers | Nationals |
x=clinched division
Race to clinch the division:
| Division | TEAM | MAGIC # |
|---|---|---|
| AL EAST | Red Sox | 9 |
| AL CENTRAL | Indians | 7 |
| AL WEST | Rangers | 4 |
| NL EAST | Nationals | 5 |
| NL CENTRAL | Cubs | Clinched |
| NL WEST | Dodgers | 7 |