The Trains are racing down the track, both general managers calling each others team the ‘ Golden State Warriors’ of the MLB, the Indians are on an historic run right now, the American League is up for grabs, wins are as important as ever, and scoreboard watching is a baseball players’ favorite activity, even if they don’t say it is.
September has dawned on us, and we are less than 2 days away from the start of Fall. The AL Wild Card has been the most exciting thing to watch in the last few weeks, teams trying to make it over the hump to play a one game playoff to face the top seed in the American League. The playoff race is heating up and it seems like the 1st wild card spot is locked up with the Yankees winning 3 of 4 against the Orioles, and their offense being so hot, they even outscored both New York football teams in Week 1 in one game!. Sadly, winning by 1, and winning by 40 is still only 1 win in the record books. If the season ended today, the Yankees would play the Twins in the AL Wild Card game, the winner facing the Indians. Speaking of the team from Cleveland, they are on fire in the last 3 or so weeks, they have won 22 straight games and don’t seem to be slowing down. Through the first 20 games of this amazing streak, they’ve only given up 32 runs! That’s an average of 1.6 runs given up a game. Even though the pitching has been great, and there arguably best reliever on the shelf in Andrew Miller, the Indians offense is doing wonders. Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor are small, middle infielders, who are stereotyped as quick, speedy guys who don’t hit many homers, but boy can they swing the stick. Ramirez and Lindor have combined for 57 Home runs so far! And don’t look to be slowing down. These ‘Little Guys’ are second and third on their team in 4 baggers, only behind Edwin Encarnacion, who hits balls with a passion, and has a parrot round the bases with him as well!.
The road is tough for the Yankees to catch the Red Sox, not only do they have to make up 3 games, but the last stretch of the year is a tough one for the Yanks, having to play divisional teams, and a possible AL Wild card matchup in the Twins. Around the league, magic numbers are dwindling, and playoffs are in teams’ sights, especially the Washington Nationals, who didn’t have much competition in the NL East, who clinched the Division and are guaranteed a spot in the postseason. The Los Angeles Dodgers also clinched, breaking out of their losing streak with a win against the lowly San Francisco Giants, clinching a spot in the postseason as well. These last few weeks will really bring out which teams want it more, and clearly the Indians do, how far can they take this streak? Can the Yanks catch the Sox? And do the D-Backs have a chance to debunk the Dodgers in the postseason? The answers to these questions will be answered in these last few weeks of the season whether you want to accept the reality or not.
