The Playoff Picture: Focus on NL Races
Filed under: Braves, Giants, Padres, Rays, Yankees, AL East, NL West, MLB Playoffs
Champagne celebrations erupted in three more clubhouses Tuesday night as the Reds, Rays and Yankees secured their trips to the playoffs. That means six of the eight playoff teams are locked in and only two races for a postseason berth remain -- the NL West and NL wild card. Three teams are contesting those two spots, and the focus will be on the Giants, Padres and Braves the next few days. As a side note, the Rays and Yankees also will continue jockeying for position in the AL, with one taking the division title and the other the wild card. If the playoffs started today, the Rays would host the Rangers and the Yankees would visit the Twins in the first round. Here's a look at how things stand entering play Wednesday: