Red Sox September Standings Watch: Clinging to AL East lead
By Sean Penney
Wild Card
Holding off the Yankees in the division race probably won’t mean keeping New York out of the postseason. The Yankees have a three-game cushion for the top Wild Card spot, giving them an 89.5 percent chance of making the postseason.
Post-Labor Day Wild Card standings. pic.twitter.com/FQamUvjSrj
— Sean Penney (@spenney83) September 5, 2017
At least that means that the Red Sox are almost certain to make the playoffs even if they do slip up and allow the Yankees to pass them over the next few weeks. Even a collapse reminiscent of 2011 may not be enough to keep them out of October now that there are two Wild Card spots.
The surprising Minnesota Twins remain in the second spot, with not even the injury to slugger Miguel Sano knocking them out of the race.
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They’ll face stiff competition for that final playoff spot from a Los Angeles Angels team that added Justin Upton and Brandon Phillips to the lineup through August waiver deals. The Angels are only half a game out and eager to get Mike Trout his first postseason experience since 2014.
Baltimore may be too far behind Boston in the AL East, but at only 1.5 games back in the Wild Card hunt they still have a fair shot at the postseason. While finding a starter they could trust in a one-game playoff would be a problem, the power bats in their lineup are always dangerous.
The Rangers are only two games back despite trading away ace Yu Darvish before the deadline. The loss of Adrian Beltre to a hamstring injury could be the nail in the coffin to their playoff hopes.
The Seattle Mariners made some moves with the intent of making a late push, but it’s hard to take them seriously as a postseason contender unless they get James Paxton back from the disabled list.