Playoff percentages: Twins watching lead slip, Cubs looking comfortable
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.
The past 48 hours couldn't have gone much worse for the Minnesota Twins.
Minnesota dropped two in a row to the lowly Toronto Blue Jays at home and have watched its playoff percentage drop from 77.3 percent to 59.4 percent over the last two days.
The Twins' losing streak would be more tolerable for those in the Twin Cities if the team directly behind them wasn't winning games. However, the Los Angeles Angels blanked the Texas Rangers on Saturday for their second win in a row, and have climbed within a game of Minnesota for the second wild-card spot.
American League
| Team | Result | Playoff Pct | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twins | L 7-2 vs. Blue Jays | 59.4% | -9.5% |
| Angels | W 2-0 vs. Rangers | 31.9% | +11.2% |
The Chicago Cubs have caught fire at the right time, winning their fifth straight game Saturday. Making the streak even sweeter for the Cubs is the fact that their last two wins came against the St. Louis Cardinals.
St. Louis has fallen to five games back in the National League Central following Saturday's loss and now have just a 7.2 percent chance of reaching the postseason. It would mark the first time the Cardinals have failed to reach the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 2007-08.
National League
| Team | Result | Playoff Pct | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockies | W 16-0 vs. Padres | 91.2% | +7.4% |
| Cubs | W 4-1 vs. Cardinals | 89.6% | +7.1% |
| Brewers | L 7-4 vs. Marlins | 12.1% | -9.8% |
| Cardinals | L 4-1 vs. Cubs | 7.2% | -6.5% |
Visit Baseball Prospectus for playoff percentages for each team.