NewsThe races: NL's race as Wild as AL's
Texas closes in on Boston; cluster close behind Colorado
By John Schlegel / MLB.com
08/16/09 2:30 AM ET
It's getting wild all over baseball, and the American League doesn't have the market cornered in that department this weekend. Granted, it's hard to imagine a bigger rubber game on Sunday than the AL Wild Card meeting in Texas, where the Rangers are a half-game behind the Red Sox going into their series finale. It couldn't be much tighter. Following a 7-2 Rangers win that included eight Texas steals and plenty of hardball heat Saturday night, another win by the home team Sunday would put a non-AL East team in the Wild Card driver's seat for the first time since April. But the NL Wild Card race still demands attention. That one is so wild, the leader and another contender got rained out and the race still got tighter. While the Rockies and third-place Marlins were washed out in Florida, every other team in the hunt gained a half-game -- at least until the Rockies and Marlins catch up with a Sunday doubleheader. The Giants beat the Mets, the Braves beat the Phillies and the Cubs beat the Pirates to give the NL race five teams within a 3 1/2-game margin entering Sunday's action under hopefully dry skies. The Rockies managed to make news in the NL West without playing, pulling to within 4 1/2 games of the Dodgers, who lost at Arizona in a game overshadowed by starter Hiroki Kuroda being struck by a line drive. That's the slimmest lead since May 13 for the Dodgers, now 13-16 since the All-Star break. While races are tightening up all over, one team is creating some serious breathing room. With yet another victory for a run of 12 out of 13 and the Boston loss in Arlington, the Yankees pumped up their AL East lead to a season-high 7 1/2 games, also the largest margin in baseball. Meanwhile, the Angels maintained their AL West lead by matching the Rangers' win with a 5-1 victory at Baltimore, and the Tigers held the White Sox at a distance of 2 1/2 games in the AL Central with a 10-3 victory over the Royals that matched Chicago's 8-1 win at Oakland. In the Senior Circuit, the Cardinals remain hot and in charge of the NL Central, holding a lead of 4 1/2 games over the Cubs and seven over the Brewers, both also winners Saturday. The Phillies' loss to the Braves not only allowed the wet Marlins to move to four games out in the NL East but the Braves to within five. CURRENT PLAYOFF PAIRINGSAmerican League:
Yankees/E (1) vs. Tigers/C (3)
Angels/W (2) vs. Red Sox/WC (4) National League:
Dodgers/W (1) vs. Cardinals/C (3)
Phillies/E (2) vs. Rockies/WC (4)
John Schlegel is a national reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
