As the ultimate week of the 2024 common season kicks off, listed below are three issues we’ll be maintaining a tally of across the baseball world at the moment:
1. AL Wild Card race tightens:
The American League has put the “wild” in Wild Card this weekend. After months of the Royals and Twins persistently holding the ultimate two Wild Card spots behind the Orioles, issues received extra attention-grabbing over the weekend because the red-hot Tigers knocked Minnesota out of playoff place fully. Now, Kansas Metropolis and Detroit are tied for the final two playoff spots within the AL with similar 82-74 data, with the Twins only one recreation behind at 81-75. Ought to issues come right down to a tiebreaker, the Twins would profit as they maintain the tiebreaker over each Kansas Metropolis and Detroit, whereas the Royals received the tiebreaker over the Tigers.
The Wild Card isn’t restricted to AL Central groups, although, and the Mariners notably lurk only one recreation again of Minnesota at 80-76 although all three Central golf equipment maintain tiebreakers over Seattle. In the meantime, neither the Purple Sox nor the Rays have technically been eradicated at this level, however it could take a miracle for both 78-78 membership to squeak into the postseason. Of all of the potential Wild Card contenders within the AL, solely the Mariners play at the moment as they begin a three-game set towards the Astros that would both formally eradicate them from the AL West or vault them again right into a playoff spot. That sequence kicks off at 7:10pm native time in Houston tonight, with kids Bryce Miller (3.06 ERA) and Hunter Brown (3.57 ERA) set to face off.
2. Phillies might clinch division:
The Phillies misplaced out on a possibility to clinch the NL East towards their division rival this weekend once they dropped the ultimate two video games of their sequence towards the Mets, however that doesn’t need to cease them from clinching in entrance of the house crowd. The membership will begin their last common season dwelling sequence at 6:40pm native time this night towards the recently-eliminated Cubs, and successful any recreation within the three-game set would clinch the division. In the meantime, sweeping Chicago would assure for the Phillies that they’ll land a bye via the NL Wild Card sequence. Their sequence towards the Cubs kicks off tonight with right-hander Aaron Nola (3.54 ERA) on the mound reverse a probable bullpen recreation for Chicago that’s prone to be began by Nate Pearson (3.13 ERA in Chicago).
3. Moreno present process MRI:
The Diamondbacks are set to wrap up their common season at dwelling this week, hoping to clinch a playoff spot with six video games to go towards the Giants and Padres. Whereas the reigning NL champs seem prone to make their second consecutive playoff run this October, it’s up within the air who will likely be behind the plate for them throughout that run after the membership introduced (as famous by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that Moreno exited yesterday’s recreation towards the Brewers with left adductor tightness.
Piecoro notes that the harm impacts the identical facet because the groin pressure that despatched him to the IL for greater than a month not too long ago, and D-Backs reporter Jody Jackson notes that Moreno is ready to endure an MRI at the moment. The lack of Moreno for the postseason could be a tricky one for Arizona to abdomen, as he not solely received the Gold Glove for his work behind the plate final 12 months but additionally has posted a 108 wRC+ in 92 video games this season. Glove-first backup Jose Herrera and hot-hitting prospect Adrian Del Castillo (who batted .313/.368/.525 in 87 plate appearances in his first style of MLB motion this summer season) would take over catching duties if Moreno misses time.
