Playoff Percentages: Brewers gain ground in WC chase, Twins inch closer
Through the remainder of the regular season, we'll take a look at how the night's action impacts the playoff races, highlighting which teams' postseason odds went up or down significantly.
American League
The Minnesota Twins keep on winning, bringing their magic number to only four games following their third straight victory on Saturday. If and when the Twins do in fact clinch a wild-card spot, it will mark the organization's first playoff berth since 2010.
Both the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels failed to gain any ground, drastically diminishing any postseason hopes. The Halos have now lost six straight games, while the Rangers saw their odds shrink by 2.5 percent.
| Team | Result | Playoff Pct | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twins | W 10-4 vs. Tigers | 96.4% | +6.4% |
| Angels | L 6-2 vs. Astros | 1.4% | -0.6% |
| Rangers | L 1-0 vs. Athletics | 1.3% | -2.5% |
National League
Thanks to a brilliant and dramatic walk-off win courtesy of Travis Shaw against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, the Milwaukee Brewers' postseason dreams took a huge leap. The two clubs will conclude their four-game series, with big playoff implications, on Sunday.
The Colorado Rockies' slide continued as the club has now lost seven of its past 10 games. Its lead for the second wild-card spot is trimmed to one ahead of Milwaukee, with the St. Louis Cardinals - victims of a blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates - trailing by only 1 1/2.
| Team | Result | Playoff Pct | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockies | L 5-0 vs. Padres | 53.2% | -8.5% |
| Brewers | W 4-3 vs. Cubs | 25.2% | +14% |
| Cardinals | L 11-6 vs. Pirates | 22.5% | -5.4% |
Visit Baseball Prospectus for playoff percentages for each team.