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MLB postseason picture: Rockies dethrone Dodgers as NL West leader

mike oz

September is upon us and every race in Major League Baseball is headed for the home stretch. That’s why every night between now and the end of the regular season, Yahoo Sports will bring you an updated look at the MLB postseason picture.

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ time atop the NL West proved rather short. The Dodgers, who seized first place again Sunday, are now back in second one day later. Such is September baseball. Such is the wild National League in 2018.

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The Dodgers lost 4-2 to the New York Mets, as Jacob deGrom dazzled once again. That cleared the way for the Colorado Rockies to leap back into first. The Rockies beat the Giants on a two-run, go-ahead single in the eighth inning en route to a 9-8 win. The end result? Colorado has a half-game lead. For now at least.

Nobody in the NL West should get too comfy. The D-backs, who lost to the Padres on Monday, are 1.5 games back in third place. All three teams are chasing the division title but also a wild-card spot.

Trevor Story and the Rockies are trying to make the postseason in the jam-packed National League. (AP)
Trevor Story and the Rockies are trying to make the postseason in the jam-packed National League. (AP)

Key Postseason Races

NL Central: The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in the first game of their series, cutting Chicago’s lead in the division to four games. Two more wins from Milwaukee and things could get really interesting. The Cardinals lost too, so they’re 5.5 back in the division.

NL East: The Braves and Phillies both lost Monday — the Braves to the Red Sox 8-2; and the Phillies to the Marlins 3-1 — so Atlanta’s lead in the division remains four games.

NL Wild Card: This sums up how wild the NL is right now. The Dodgers were in first place before Monday’s loss. After losing, however, they’re a half-game back from a wild-card spot. The Brewers and Cardinals would be the wild-card teams if the season ended right now.

AL West: Not much has changed since Sunday. The Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics each won their games, so the Astros’ lead in the AL West stands at 2.5 games. The A’s, however, had the more impressive win — beating the Yankees 6-3, while the Astros beat the Twins 4-1.

AL East: Speaking of those Yankees, their loss to the A’s coupled with the Red Sox’s win over the Braves jumped Boston’s division lead up to 8.5 games.

AL Wild Card: The A’s, currently in the second wild-card spot, gained a game on the wild-card leading Yankees by winning their head-to-head game. The deficit now sits at 3.5 games.

Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha, right, is congratulated by third base coach Matt Williams after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Monday, Sept. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Oakland Athletics’ Mark Canha, right, is congratulated by third base coach Matt Williams after hitting a solo home run against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Monday, Sept. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Magic Number Watch

Cleveland Indians: The Indians are the only team in MLB right now, who are in Magic Number mode. The Indians lost 5-1 to the Royals, but the Twins lost, so the Indians did move closer to clinch mode. Their magic number is now 13.

Elimination Watch

The San Diego Padres — despite their win against the D-backs — were the first NL team to be eliminated from postseason contention. See you next year, Friars. Four AL teams — the Orioles, Royals, White Sox and Tigers — have already been eliminated. Next up? The Texas Rangers, whose elimination number is 3 and the Miami Marlins, whose elimination number is 4.

Tuesday’s Must-See Game

The Red Sox and Braves meet in Atlanta, and pardon the cliché, but it’s one of those potential World Series matchups. On Tuesday, Boston will send Rick Porcello to the mound to face Atlanta’s Sean Newcomb.

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Mike Oz is a writer at Yahoo Sports. Contact him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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