The Colorado Rockies punched their

Geregistreerd op: 31 Dec 2018 Berichten: 57

playoff ticket for the second consecutive season with a 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday night.Elsewhere http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-scherzer-jersey , the New York Yankees clinched home field for the American League Wild Card Game versus the Oakland Athletics thanks to an 11-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox.Only two more regular-season days of baseball are on tap before the postseason begins. The American League playoff picture is set, but the National League may need Saturday and Sunday (and perhaps a Monday tiebreaker) to determine its teams and seeding.Here's a look at some 2018 World Series champion odds, perOddsShark, as well as an MLB playoff picture update after Friday's games.World Series OddsBoston Red Sox: 29-10Houston Astros: 33-10Chicago Cubs: 33-4Cleveland Indians: 9-1Los Angeles Dodgers: 48-5New York Yankees: 21-2Atlanta Braves: 11-1Colorado Rockies: 58-5Milwaukee Brewers: 29-2Oakland Athletics: 173-10St. Louis Cardinals: 155-2American League Playoff PictureThere is no drama in the American League race, as the seedings have already been decided. The Boston Red Sox (107-53) will be the Junior Circuit's No. 1 seed and have earned home-field advantage through the World Series should they get that far.Like last year, the defending champion Houston Astros (101-5 Cool

will be the No. 2 seed. They will have home-field advantage over the No. 3 Cleveland Indians (90-70) in the American League Division Series.The New York Yankees (99-61) are the AL's first wild-card team, having finished second to the Red Sox in the East. They will host the Oakland Athletics (96-64) in the AL Wild Card Game on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.The winner of that game will face the Red Sox in the ALDS. National LeaguePlayoff PictureThis is where things get a little interesting.We know four of the five playoff teams: the Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves and the Rockies.What we don't know are the seedings (none have been decided) and the final playoff team (which will be either the Los Angeles Dodgers or St. Louis Cardinals).We do know that the 94-66 Cubs or 93-67 Brewers will be the No. 1 seed. Those two clubs are fighting for the NL Central crown, with the winner taking top honors and the loser being relegated to hosting the NL Wild Card Game on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.The Cubs will host the Cards on Saturday and Sunday, while the Brew Crew will be home against the Detroit Tigers. If the two teams tie in the standings, a one-game playoff at Wrigley Field will occur Monday to break the tie.The No. 2 seed is up for grabs and can be obtained by the Braves (90-70), Rockies (90-70) or Dodgers (89-71).We know the Braves can finish no lower than third by virtue of their NL East crown already. They will be in the NLDS against the NL West winner.However, the Braves are on the wrong end of tiebreakers against the Rockies and Dodgers Michael Taylor Jersey , having lost the season series to each of them 5-2. Therefore, the only way Atlanta can get the No. 2 seed is if it finishes with a better record than the NL West winner. The Braves close their regular season with two road games against the Philadelphia Phillies.The Rockies have the one-game edge in the West with two home games left against the Nats. The Dodgers have two road matchups versus the San Francisco Giants, with ace Clayton Kershaw taking the mound Saturday.Colorado has the inside track on the NL West crown and No. 2 seed; it would get both with two victories.If Colorado and L.A. tie for the division, a one-game playoff will take place Monday in L.A. (the Dodgers get that honor by virtue of winning the season series12-7). The winner would face the Braves in the NLDS (seeding to be determined), while the loser would go to the NL Central winner for the Wild Card Game.The Cardinals' season is on the brink. They need two wins at the Cubs and two Dodgers losses at the Giants to force a one-game playoff to determine the second wild card. The good news for the Redbirds is that playoff would take place in St. Louis thanks to its 4-3 season-series win over L.A.However, it's a tall order, especially with Kershaw on the mound Saturday. One more L.A. win or Cardinals loss ends St. Louis' season. CHICAGO (AP) — At one point during Anthony Rizzo’s tough start, the big first baseman visited Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon in his office.Rizzo and Maddon talked hitting, and Maddon wrote down what he thought Rizzo’s numbers would look like by the end of the season. Fast forward to the last days of August, and Rizzo’s statistics are beginning to approach his usual numbers — where Maddon thought they would go eventually.Only Rizzo might have to just trust his manager on that one.“I wrote the numbers down a couple months ago. I just have to remember where I put them,” a grinning Maddon said.At the end of perhaps his most challenging season in Chicago, the 64-year-old Maddon remains as comfortable with himself as the day he took over four years ago, when he boldly talked about the playoffs at a bar in the shadow in the Wrigley Field.Maddon’s personality — his steady hand, and perhaps more importantly http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-shawn-kelley-jersey , his subtle changes over the years — is a major reason why the Cubs just keep winning through the kind of adversity that knocks some contenders out of the playoff race.Playing without 2016 NL MVP Kris Bryant, closer Brandon Morrow and shortstop Addison Russell due to injuries, Chicago had won six in a row heading into Tuesday night’s game against the New York Mets, running the NL’s best record to 77-53. Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood, who were expected to help solidify the rotation after signing big free-agent deals, struggled all summer, but nothing has derailed the Cubs so far.Credit Javier Baez for turning into one of baseball’s biggest stars. Credit rookies David Bote and Randy Rosario for their unexpected contributions, and Steve Cishek and Pedro Strop for their consistent performances all year out of the bullpen.And credit Maddon, who is working with a largely new coaching staff compared to last year, and still has the Cubs on track for their third straight division title and fourth consecutive playoff appearance.“Every year, it’s kind of just let us be ourselves,” outfielder Kyle Schwarber said. “I think that he has full trust in us and I think that says a lot. We back him up, too. I think that’s kind of how, it’s a give and take. He gives us the rein and we always have his back at the end of the day.”Chicago’s latest win streak coincides with Maddon’s annual “American Legion Week Trea Turner Jersey ,” where he has his players come in later than usual — harkening back to when they were kids and hit the field when they arrived for the game. The Cubs still have themed road trips — dress like the flamboyant Strop was a big hit this year — but Maddon has largely stayed away from anything like his more famous stunts.No petting zoos. No magicians. No Mariachi bands. The Cubs are no longer the wide-eyed group of kids Maddon had in 2015. They have grown up, and their manager has tweaked his style to fit his playoff-tested group that ended the team’s infamous World Series championship drought.“If you pick your spots more separately or not so close together, I think they have a greater impact, so I just think, I’m ashamed to say I might be maturing a bit,” Maddon deadpanned. “That would be awful. But if that’s true, I would really be disappointed in myself.”While that whole maturity thing is still in question, Maddon has made a couple decisions this year that helped keep the Cubs on top of the NL.The three-time manager of the year has smartly picked his spots for Ben Zobrist, and the 37-year-old utilityman has responded with a more typical performance after struggling last season. Rizzo’s resurgence was jump-started by a productive stint in the leadoff slot. He has let Baez be Baez, shrugging off the occasional baserunning blunder while the infielder repeatedly turns in electric plays in the field and at the plate.The bullpen, a disaster in the playoffs last year, has been one of NL’s best, helping the Cubs to a major league-best 41 come-from-behind wins.“I think Joe does a good job of not hammering the little things, even when we’re not playing well http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-wieters-jersey ,” left-hander Jon Lester said after Monday night’s 7-4 victory over the Mets. “I think a lot of teams and organizations, when they don’t play well, they run to the early (batting practices) … and maybe you’ll see a (pitchers’ fielding practice) thrown in there, whatever, but Joe goes the other way.”Maddon’s deft touch will be tested when Bryant and Russell come off the DL, creating a logjam in the infield after the Cubs acquired second baseman Daniel Murphy last week in a trade with Washington. Of course, Maddon knows it’s a problem many other teams would welcome.And if anyone wants to talk it over, his door is always open.“It’s been a really interesting year,” Maddon said. “A lot of great conversations. When they have issues, they come and talk to me about them. It’s been really good.”