It is 2011 all over again as four teams still have everything to play for with just one game remaining in the MLB regular season.
By virtue of the fact the Chicago Cubs lost to the St Louis Cardinals 2-1 following a gem of a performance from starter Miles Mikolas, the former are tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for first in the National League Central.
The Brewers defeated the Detroit Tigers 6-5 on Saturday.
In the west, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 10-6 and have matched the Rockies game-for-game through 161 outings as Colorado fell to the Washington Nationals 12-2.
It all comes down to Sunday. All of these teams have already locked up playoff spots, so they do not have to worry about that, but whoever winds up with the wildcard will have one game to determine its season.
The other two teams are guaranteed five-game series in the postseason. Sunday is going to be dramatic.
YELICH SHOWCASES MVP CREDENTIALS
Give Christian Yelich the MVP. The Brewers outfielder went two for three with two home runs, a walk and three RBIs on Saturday. His first home run cut a 3-0 lead to 3-2 in the first and his second gave Milwaukee a 6-5 advantage in the seventh. Yelich is just two RBIs behind Cubs infielder Javier Baez for the NL lead. He is tied or leads the NL in the other two Triple Crown categories.
Cardinals starter Mikolas tossed eight innings of one-run (unearned) ball. Chicago tried to sign Mikolas this offseason but instead they managed just five base hits against him in what was, to this point, their most important game of the year.
Justin Verlander tossed six innings of three-hit, no-run ball in a 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The Houston Astros starter finished the year 16-9 with a 2.52 ERA, and career highs in strikeouts (290) and WHIP (0.90). He has a chance to win the American League Cy Young.
As does Tampa Bay Rays starter Blake Snell who threw five innings of three-hit, one-run ball while striking out 10 in a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Snell threw 180 2/3 innings in 2018 while posting an AL-best 1.89 ERA, with 221 strikeouts and a 21-5 record.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola likely will not win the NL Cy Young award but that does not mean he did not have an amazing season. He finished it up with seven innings of two-hit, shut-out ball in a 3-0 win over the Atlanta Braves. Nola went 17-6 in 212.3 innings with a 2.37 ERA and 224 strikeouts.
GRAY AND BAEZ FAIL TO DELIVER
The Rockies needed a solid start out of Jon Gray to seal at least a share of the NL West title. What they got was two innings of seven-hit, five-run ball in a loss to the Nationals.
The Cubs needed an MVP performance from Baez to clinch a share of the Central division crown. They got an 0 for four day.
FAN HITS STANTON WITH BALL
The Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 8-5 at Fenway Park and one rival fan got back at Giancarlo Stanton for hitting a home run by plunking him with the ball from the bleachers. Seriously.
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
New York Yankees 8-5 Boston Red Sox
St Louis Cardinals 2-1 Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros 4-3 Baltimore Orioles
Houston Astros 5-2 Baltimore Orioles
Los Angeles Dodgers 10-6 San Francisco Giants
Cincinnati Reds 3-0 Pittsburgh Pirates
Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 Toronto Blue Jays
Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 Atlanta Braves
New York Mets 1-0 Miami Marlins
Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 Detroit Tigers
Minnesota Twins 8-3 Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals 9-4 Cleveland Indians
Washington Nationals 12-2 Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 San Diego Padres
Seattle Mariners 4-1 Texas Rangers
Oakland Athletics 5-2 Los Angeles Angels
Dodgers (90-71) at Giants (73-88) — If the Dodgers win, they guarantee finishing the season in at least a tie for the west division lead.
Tigers (64-96) at Brewers (94-67) — If the Brewers win, they guarantee finishing the season in at least a tie for the central division lead.
Nationals (82-79) at Rockies (90-71) — If the Rockies win, they guarantee finishing the season in at least a tie for the west division lead.
Cardinals (88-73) at Cubs (94-67) — If the Cubs win, they guarantee finishing the season in at least a tie for the central division lead.
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