But five out of six ain’t bad.
Outside of the secure AL West and contentious AL East, there are three division races that will likely come down to two teams.
First, the AL Central appears like it may come down to a 163rd game, once again, between the Twins and White Sox. Minnesota got the best of Chicago last season, but the White Sox took Game No. 163 in 2008. The Twins and White Sox remain deadlocked atop the division at 64-50.
The rivals have slid up and down the division ladder all season, but with Detroit fading fast, the final two months have transformed into a two-team race. The “Midwest Melee” wraps up another three-game set on Thursday night, with each team — fittingly — having taken one so far. The Twins lead the season series with a modest 7-5 edge, and six more games will be played after Thursday’s matchup, three on the South Side and three in the Twin Cities.
Then there is the NL East, which likely won’t involve another Mets collapse, as the Braves (66-48) and Phillies (63-50) lock horns for the division crown. The Braves have held off the other four teams for the bulk of summer, but the Phillies are armed with a phenomenal pitching staff to match Atlanta’s arms and keep them in the race.
The NL East could come down to the final weekend, with the Braves in the City of Brotherly Love for a three-game set in the first weekend of October. Atlanta owns a 7-5 record against Philadelphia this season, but its 2 1/2-game margin is going to be tough to hold against the two-time winners of the NL pennant.
And how can the brawling NL Central be left off the list? Brandon Phillips made it very clear that he hates the Cardinals, which ignited a brawl between the Reds and Cards during Tuesday’s game.
St. Louis, which won the division last year, owns a solid 10-5 record and one-game lead over the upstart Reds this year, and the two will play a final series at Busch Stadium from Sept. 3-5. Both squads boast strong pitching staffs, though whether the Reds’ young guns can avoid hitting the wall and play them into October will be one storyline to watch. Cincinnati’s NL-leading offense may be able to pick up the slack, though, and take this division battle all the way until the end.
All three division races will be interesting to watch unfold, but which, outside of the AL East, is the most intriguing? Text ‘SOX1’ to 542542 for the AL Central, text ‘SOX2’ to 542542 for the NL East, or text ‘SOX3’ to 542542 for the NL Central.
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