With October fast approaching this coming MLB season there has been some crucial changes that have comes across the league over the last week of play and that all surrounds INJURIES.
In the NL Central the Milwaukee Brewers who played great work on a St. Louis Cardinals team missing their closer in Carlos Martinez were able to steal 2 out of 3 in St. Louis, but this is after the fact of losing reigning MVP Christian Yelich. Last week Yelich took his own foul ball right off the top of his kneecap to put him on the IL (Injured List) for the remaining portion of the season. Braun the Brewers combo Outfield and First Basemen wore his jersey to commemorate the fallen Superstar and the Brewers still hasty to make October happen with the Cardinals holding 2 games over the Cubs and the Brewers still holding onto the race only 3 games back (just one game back of the Cubs).
In other news from the American League’s side of things, baseball’s sweetheart in Mike Trout, is to have season ending foot surgery only a few days after it came to be known that Asian Slugger Shohei Ohtani would also be having a year ending surgery as well. Though the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are in no sort of pennant race being almost 30 games back in the AL West, Trout and Ohtani have had a rough time battling injury, making it hard to stay competitive.
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So What’s Left?????
With late season pushes and the all encompassing question of “WHOSE GONNA BE IN?” begging for grace, here is what we are looking at going forward in the last few weeks of this season.
Starting in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers have long since clinched their division it feels like, holding a 20.5 game lead over the Diamondbacks in their division who are still in the mix for a Wild Card birth.
In the NL East, the Atlanta Braves clinched a Wild Card birth as they have a 9.5 game lead over the Washington Nationals who hold home field as their record stands at 82-66 for the Wild Card Pennant.
In the NL Central, it is a 3 mascot race to the finish of September with St. Louis holding a 2 game lead over the Chicago Cubs, and as spoken of already, the Brewers trailing just 3 games back. It will be a push for all 3 teams as we near October. The Cardinals had a scorching hot August, but the Cubs and Brewers have kept pace just as needed.
That wraps up this look around the NL up to September 15th as we head into the last few remaining weeks of the MLB season. Fill up my inbox on who you think is gonna close out this year and why! Can the Dodgers get it done for the NL this year, or will they find trouble against a young Braves team. Or could we even see an underdog Wild Card postseason come alive again this year? There so much yet to be written, but let’s just hope for a lot of Walk-Off’s.
For more on these teams and players, check out these links listed below!!
https://www.mlb.com/angels – Mike Trout and the Angels.
https://www.mlb.com/cardinals – St. Louis Cardinals and their Postseason hopes.
https://www.mlb.com/brewers – Brewers and what they have ‘brewing’ for this Postseason.
https://www.mlb.com/cubs – Chicago Cubs and their stretching hope for October baseball.
https://www.mlb.com/braves – Atlanta Braves and their Division winning team hopes!
Of course all these teams are linked to https://www.mlb.com/ for all you need on any MLB team(s).
AROUND the HORN: 