The Wild Card Races

By Brendon Rosenau
Love of Sports Correspondent

The A.L. wild card race is down to three, possibly two, teams.

The Red Sox continue to have a strong hold on first, as they increased their lead over Minnesota and New York this past week.

While in the N.L., the Brewers are enjoying the same lead as the Bo Sox. There are more teams in the running, but are any really legitimate contenders?

A.L. Wild Card Race

Boston - Leading Wild Card – 3.0 Behind in East

The Red Sox placed two more players on the D.L. this week (Tim Wakefield and Mike Lowell), yet still strengthened their lead. To ease the pain of losing Wakefield the Sox traded for the Byrd-Man, Cleveland’s Paul Byrd.

The Sox took three from the Rangers in games that resembled batting practice after a four-game split with the South Siders. Next on the docket is a home series with the Blue Jays, then a nine-game road trip with Baltimore, Toronto and New York. A few weeks ago, that may have looked like a tough trip. Today, it’d be disappointing if the Sox don’t take at least five or six games.

Minnesota – 3.0 Behind Boston - 1.0 Behind in Central

The Twins continue to stay in step with the ChiSox and nip at the Red Sox on a daily basis. They grabbed a huge series from the Yankees and now get a chance to really put the pressure on.

Seattle and Oakland come into Minny before the Twins have to go on a tough 11-game West Coast trip. The Twins would like to really poor it on in the first couple of games to give their bullpen a rest. Their relievers have worked 16 innings in the last four games, and Joe Nathan has been used in each of the last three games. Delmon Young hit three-run homers in consecutive days and has been laying the wood since the All Star Break.

New York - 6.5 Behind Boston - 9.5 Behind in East

Could this be the end of New York’s run? A 3-7 record in the last 10 has Yankee fans in panic mode. Another starter, Dan Giese, went down with an injury and Ian Kennedy was awful in his last start. The good news is that Johnny Damon’s leading the league in hitting and the Yanks have the offense to compete again, but their starting pitching is a wreck with injuries.

They get Kansas City in the Stadium followed by a series at Toronto. I don’t imagine the Yanks ever giving up on the season, but it looks like the last game at Yankee Stadium will be September 21st this year.

Good Day Mates - Toronto and Texas

Toronto’s last ditch effort is six games in the next week with the Sox. When you’re nine games out of the wild card, there isn’t much in terms of hope.

To sit down and actually watch the Rangers’ starting pitching is physically nauseating. I can only imagine what poor Ron Washington goes through. The starters gave up 23 runs (21 earned) in their three losses to the Red Sox in a disgusting display of pitching.

N.L. Wild Card Race

Milwaukee - Leading Wild Card - 4.5 Behind in Central

The Brewers won eight straight last week before a loss to the Padres to solidify their position on the top. A tip of the glass to the pitching staff, which allowed just 11 runs in their last seven games. What more can you say about CC and the music he’s bringing. He’s 7-0 with a 1.55 ERA in eight starts in the N.L. Ben Sheets tossed a shutout over the weekend too, winning for the first time since July. This potent 1-2 combo makes it almost impossible for them to go on an extended losing streak.

This week, it’s a three-game trip to L.A., then a home series with the Astros.

St. Louis – 3.0 Behind Milwaukee - 7.5 Behind in Central

The Cards took three of four from the Marlins last week and are still pestering the Brewers. Things have seemingly taken a turn for the worse again. Now it’s Chris Carpenter landing on the D.L. after just three starts. That has the Red Birds signing the blues. It’s amazing the position the Cards are in considering the constant shuffling of their bullpen and staff, but the loss of Carpenter may be the final straw.

They still continue to hit the long ball. Ryan Ludwick clubbed No. 30 recently, and the Cards have a favorable schedule the next week. They head to Cincy for the weekend and they host the Pirates for two. Is this a team that’ll refuse to die? Or are they headed south for the winter?

Philadelphia - 5.5 Behind Milwaukee – 1.0 Behind in East

The one thing you don’t want to do is get swept in the middle of a heated playoff hunt. That’s just what the Phils did, though, dropping four straight at Chavez-Ravine. Jimmy Rollins’ little outburst about the fans can’t help the team, and their offense has been in a slump. Chase Utley’s hitting .245 in the month, Pat Burrell’s at .125 and Ryan Howard’s hitting just .196.

The Phillies will try to overtake the surging Mets, starting with a set in San Diego. Then they have a nine-game homestand with Washington, the Dodgers and then an Andre The Giant-size battle with the Mets again.

Hold On Loosely

--Florida (7.0 GB Milwaukee - 2.5 in East)
--Houston (7.5 GB Milwaukee, 12.0 in Central)
--Los Angeles and Arizona (7.5 Behind Milwaukee, Tied in the West)

The Marlins are finding the long swim difficult. They’ve lost four of their last six and now get the Cubbies over the weekend.

The Astros are on an eight-game winning streak, the bulk of it coming without Carlos Lee. Randy Wolf’s been the No. 2 man on the staff, though. That’s not good.

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks are both 7.5 behind the Brew Crew. The two teams will tear each other’s heads off in a fight for the division that’ll leave them too bloody for anything else.

Agree or Disagree? Who can make a run? Are the Sox or Brewers going to lose their lead? Let us know.