Our division champions are all set, with the 2016 Cubs, 1995 Braves, and 2007 Rockies winning in the National League, while the 1995 Indians, 2004 Red Sox, and 2011 Rangers claimed the titles in the American League. Our top Wild Cards in each league are also claimed in the 1975 Reds and 2001 Mariners. In each league though, five teams are still fighting for that one last spot. Meanwhile, the division winners are now jockeying for home field advantage. The team with the best record will get home field throughout the Elimination Round, and in the event of a tie, that will be broken by record against other playoff teams.
With the race for that last spot still wide open though, there is the possibility that we'll have a tie for the last Wild Card. In that event, we will play a Game 93 tomorrow to break the tie, with home field advantage going to the team who won the regular season series. If the two teams split their regular season series, we will go with the record against all playoff teams, and if the tie remains there, we will go by records against individual teams starting with the team with the best record in their respective league and working our way down until the tie is broken. Part of me hopes we do have a Game 93, but I also hope it doesn't involve looking through 14 tiebreakers to determine home field. If you want a full look at the standings, you can see those here.
I was also fortunate with how the byes worked out. The 2003 Marlins and 2001 Mariners finished their schedules on Thursday at 43-49 and 50-42, respectively, and in both of their cases, their postseason fates are not out of their hands; the Marlins were already out, and the Mariners locked up the first Wild Card in the AL with the division out of reach. The remaining 28 teams finish up their schedules today, with a lot on the line. There are only two divisional matchups this round, both in the American League.
All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. For the final time this regular season (barring a tie)... let's play ball!
Thursday, July 13th
'84 DET 4, @ '91 MIN 2
W: Lopez (7-8) | L: Morris (8-9) | SV: Hernandez (23)
@ '02 ANA 6, '11 TEX 5
W: Sele (3-4) | L: Lowe (5-3) | SV: Percival (17)
Friday, July 14th
@ '75 CIN 9, '14 WAS 4
W: Nolan (5-6) | L: Zimmermann (8-11)
'16 CHC 8, @ '86 NYM 2
W: Lackey (9-3) | L: Darling (6-8)
*The 2016 Chicago Cubs clinch home field advantage throughout the NL Playoffs*
@ '05 HOU 9, '07 COL 5
W: Pettitte (8-4) | L: Jiminez (3-3) | SV: Lidge (16)
*The 1995 Atlanta Braves clinch home field advantage in the NLDS*
'98 SD 7, @ '11 STL 4
W: Spencer (2-0) | L: Lohse (3-7) | SV: Hoffman (29)
*The 2011 St. Louis Cardinals are eliminated from the NL Wild Card race*
*The 2005 Houston Astros are eliminated from the NL Wild Card race*
@ '01 AZ 5, '95 ATL 0
W: Anderson (4-7) | L: Avery (6-7)
@ '65 LAD 8, '08 PHI 3
W: Osteen (11-8) | L: Kendrick (2-11)
@ '10 SF 11, '71 PIT 1
W: Sanchez (6-6) | L: Johnson (6-4)
________________________________________
@ '93 TOR 4, '95 CLE 3
W: Guzman (7-7) | L: Clark (3-5) | SV: Ward (17)
'05 CHW 12, @ '04 BOS 3
W: Garcia (7-8) | L: Lowe (6-8)
'89 OAK 5, @ '70 BAL 2
W: Stewart (10-5) | L: McNally (9-7)
@ '91 MIN 6, '84 DET 4
W: Tapani (10-6) | L: Morris (8-9) | SV: Aguilera (16)
@ '15 KC 8, '98 NYY 7
W: Herrera (3-4) | L: Stanton (8-12) | SV: Davis (20)
@ '82 MIL 12, '08 TB 10 (10)
W: Sutton (4-0) | L: Hammel (2-3)
@ '02 ANA 7, '11 TEX 3
W: Lackey (3-8) | L: Ogando (10-6) | SV: Pote (1)
Saturday, July 15th
'14 WAS 7, @ '75 CIN 6
W: Roark (9-5) | L: Norman (7-4) | SV: Soriano (20)
'16 CHC 4, @ '86 NYM 3
W: Lester (10-2) | L: Gooden (8-8) | SV: Grimm (5)
*The 2016 Chicago Cubs clinch home field advantage throughout the Elimination Round*
'07 COL 4, @ '05 HOU 0
W: Lopez (6-2) | L: Clemens (9-6)
'98 SD 13, @ '11 STL 7
W: Smith (7-3) | L: Jackson (0-7)
*The 1998 San Diego Padres clinch an NL Wild Card berth*
@ '01 AZ 16, '95 ATL 15
W: Kim (3-9) | L: Wohlers (0-2)
'08 PHI 8, @ '65 LAD 4
W: Myers (2-8) | L: Podres (5-7)
@ '10 SF 5, '71 PIT 4
W: Romo (5-1) | L: Grant (3-11) | SV: Wilson (17)
________________________________________
'95 CLE 3, @ '93 TOR 2
W: Ogea (10-3) | L: Hentgen (8-6) | SV: Mesa (25)
'05 CHW 7, @ '04 BOS 1
W: Contreras (6-8) | L: Martinez (8-6) | SV: Politte (2)
@ '70 BAL 8, '89 OAK 3
W: Palmer (9-5) | L: Moore (10-7)
@ '91 MIN 9, '84 DET 8
W: Aguilera (1-1) | L: Monge (3-1)
*The 1984 Detroit Tigers are eliminated from the AL Wild Card race*
@ '15 KC 4, '98 NYY 0
W: Ventura (9-6) | L: Hernandez (6-4)
'08 TB 6, @ '82 MIL 3
W: Shields (12-3) | L: Caldwell (7-6) | SV: Percival (13)
@ '02 ANA 3, '11 TEX 1
W: Callaway (4-5) | L: Wilson (9-5) | SV: Percival (18)
Sunday, July 16th
'14 WAS 3, @ '75 CIN 2
W: Storen (1-1) | L: McEnaney (5-5) | SV: Soriano (21)
@ '86 NYM 6, '16 CHC 5
W: Fernandez (10-7) | L: Arrieta (11-2) | SV: McDowell (25)
@ '05 HOU 3, '07 COL 1
W: Backe (5-6) | L: Francis (3-5) | SV: Lidge (17)
'98 SD 5, @ '11 STL 3 (12)
W: Wall (2-0) | L: Sanchez (4-2) | SV: Hoffman (30)
'95 ATL 8, @ '01 AZ 7
W: Smoltz (11-3) | L: Lopez (4-10) | SV: Wohlers (24)
@ '65 LAD 4, '08 PHI 2
W: Drysdale (12-12) | L: Eaton (1-9) | SV: Perranoski (16)
'71 PIT 12, @ '10 SF 0
W: Moose (6-3) | L: Bumgarner (7-9)
________________________________________
'95 CLE 10, @ '93 TOR 3
W: Plunk (5-2) | L: Eichhorn (3-3)
*The 1995 Cleveland Indians clinch home field advantage throughout the AL Playoffs*
'05 CHW 4, @ '04 BOS 2 (12)
W: Jenks (3-1) | L: Timlin (3-1) | SV: Takatsu (1)
@ '70 BAL 3, '89 OAK 2 (10)
W: Lopez (5-1) | L: M. Young (1-3)
*The 1989 Oakland Athletics are eliminated from the AL Wild Card race*
*The 2008 Tampa Bay Rays are eliminated from the AL Wild Card race*
'84 DET 9, @ '91 MIN 6 (14)
W: Hernandez (3-1) | L: Guthrie (2-3)
'98 NYY 8, @ '15 KC 2
W: Pettitte (6-7) | L: Medlen (6-8)
*The 1998 New York Yankees and 1970 Baltimore Orioles will play tomorrow for an AL Wild Card berth*
'08 TB 9, @ '82 MIL 5
W: Sonnanstine (6-5) | L: Vuckovich (3-9)
@ '02 ANA 5, '11 TEX 4
W: Weber (4-3) | L: Feliz (1-4)
*The 2004 Boston Red Sox clinch home field advantage in the ALDS*
Season Series (NL)
'14 WAS 4, '75 CIN 2
'16 CHC 5, '86 NYM 1
'05 HOU 3, '07 COL 3
'98 SD 4, '11 STL 2
'95 ATL 4, '01 AZ 2
'65 LAD 3, '08 PHI 3
'71 PIT 4, '10 SF 2
Season Series (AL)
'95 CLE 5, '93 TOR 1
'05 CHW 6, '04 BOS 0
'70 BAL 4, '89 OAK 2
'84 DET 5, '91 MIN 3
'98 NYY 3, '15 KC 3
'82 MIL 3, '08 TB 3
'02 ANA 6, '11 TEX 2
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