National League - MLB Playoff Races September 12th

By Ian Palmer

The National League playoff races are alive and well with several teams still having a shot at division titles and playoff spots. With the season winding down and most teams having just over 15 games to go as of September 12, the playoff hopes of about seven clubs could still be classified as realistic, especially with two wild card spots available. The Washington Nationals were leading the East Division with the Los Angeles Dodgers on top of the West and the St. Louis Cardinals in charge in the Central. Those three teams are trying desperately to hang onto their positions and make the playoffs automatically as division champions. When it comes to gaining entry to the postseason via a wild-card position, the San Francisco Giants were looking good as they held the first spot by four games. The Pittsburgh Pirates were hanging onto the second wild-card position, but were just 1.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers and two up on the Atlanta Braves.

National League West

Over in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers were hanging onto a two-game lead over the Giants. The Dodgers were 7-3 in their past 10 outings with the Giants also going 7-3. According to MLB.com, as of Sept. 12, the Dodgers had a 100 per cent chance at the postseason with the Giants at 98.9 per cent. The third-place San Diego Padres, fourth-place Arizona and cellar dwellers Colorado are out of it.

National League Central

The St. Louis Cardinals went 6-4 over the past week while the Pirates also went 6-4 and were able to pass the Brewers who were just 3-7. The Pirates were still clinging to the second-wild-card spot and were 1.5 games ahead of the Brewers and two behind St. Louis. The third-place Brewers were four back of the Cardinals in the division race. The fourth-place Cincinnati Reds and fifth-place Chicago Cubs are out of the playoff race. Milwaukee was given a 21 per cent shot at the postseason with St. Louis at 95.2 and Pittsburgh at 61.8 per cent.

National League East

Washington was looking good by holding an 8.5-game lead over the second-place Atlanta Braves. The Braves aren’t out of the playoff race though as they were just two games behind the Pirates in the wild-card race. The third-place Miami (Florida) Marlins are still alive in the wild-card sprint at 5.5 games behind, but are 12 back of Washington in the division. Washington has gone 6-4 in their past 10 games while Atlanta was 4-6. The fourth-place New York Mets are 6.5 behind the last wild card spot. The Nationals are almost certain to reach the playoffs with a 100 per cent chance while Atlanta will find it tough at 22.9 and Miami virtually out of it at 0.2 per cent.

National League Wild Card Standings