The baseball season is entering a crucial phase as the American League playoffs are set to begin with the National League still shrouded in uncertainty following rainouts last week caused by Hurricane Helene. In the American League, the Houston Astros will face the Detroit Tigers, while the Baltimore Orioles will matchup against the Kansas City Royals in best-of-three Wild Card Series starting on Tuesday. The winners will advance to face the AL Central and AL East champions in the Division Series respectively.
On the other hand, the National League is still up for grabs with the New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Atlanta Braves competing for the final two wild-card spots in the 12-team playoffs. Following the rainouts, the Mets traveled back to Atlanta for a doubleheader against the Braves to determine their postseason fate. The Diamondbacks finished with an 89-73 record, with the Mets and Braves both at 88-72. If either team sweeps the doubleheader, they secure a playoff spot, while a split would send the Mets and Braves through due to the Diamondbacks losing the season series to both teams.
In the event of Arizona making it to the playoffs, they would be the No. 6 seed and face the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers. The outcomes of the doubleheader will also determine the matchups for the Braves and Mets. A win for the Braves in either game would set them up against the San Diego Padres, while a Mets sweep would see them become the No. 5 seed and face San Diego. However, if the Mets split the doubleheader and become the No. 6 seed, they would face the Brewers in the Division Series.
The Mets are looking to capitalize on their recent victory over Milwaukee as they gear up for the crucial doubleheader against the Braves. Tylor Megill and Spencer Schwellenbach were slated to start the opening game, with Luis Severino and Chris Sale set to pitch in the second game. The team winning the opener was likely to save their starting pitcher for the Division Series opener on Tuesday.
The race for the playoffs in both the American League and National League is heating up as teams battle it out for a spot in the postseason. The outcomes of the upcoming games will determine the final matchups and seedings for the Division Series, adding to the excitement and anticipation for baseball fans across the country.
