Welcome to Behind the Plate With DJ, a weekly look at what is going on in the world of baseball. This series will weigh in on the interesting, the controversial, and the downright cool. The play of the week could be an incredible play or an unusual one. If something made you scratch your head, you will probably find it here. So sit back, relax, and let’s take a look at the week that was.
Playoff Races
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We have less than 2 weeks to go in the 2016 season and some of the playoff races are coming down to the wire. After 150 or so games, there is only one playoff spot that has been determined: the Cubs have won the NL Central. In fact, they have clinched home field advantage in the National League Divisional series. The Nationals are 8 games behind the Cubs with 11 games to go, giving the Cubs the inside track on home field for the National League Championship Series.
American League
The Rangers are close are close to clinching the AL West. Their magic number is 2 with 10 games to go. The Rangers hold a 2 game lead over the Indians for the best record in the American League, with the Red Sox a half game further behind. Home field advantage could come down to the final series.
The Indians have a 7 game lead over the Tigers with 12 games to go. The Royals are still mathematically alive, but they need to make up 10.5 games. It would take a total collapse by the Indians and Tigers as well as a huge winning streak by the Royals for them to win the division.
The AL East is the most interesting division at this point, with 4 out of the 5 teams still alive in the division hunt. The Red Sox are on top, with the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Yankees still within reach. The 6-game winning streak that the Red Sox are on has put some distance between them and the rest of the division.
The American League Wild Card race is a tight one, with 7 teams within 5 games of a playoff spot. The Blue Jays have a 1-game lead over the Orioles for the first spot, and the Orioles have a 1.5 game lead over the Tigers for the second spot. The Astros, Mariners, Yankees, and the Royals are scrambling, trying to get into one of those two spots. Even the White Sox are still alive, but they need to make up 10 games and leapfrog 6 other teams.
National League
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In the NL East, the Nationals have an 8 game lead over the Mets with 11 games left. They have the second best record in the National League, but they are 7 games behind the Cubs for home field advantage in the playoffs.
The Dodgers have overtaken the Giants, who have plummeted in the second half. The lead is 5 games right now and they have split the first two games of a 3-game series. They finish the season with a series in San Francisco that could decide the division.
The National League Wild Card race is heavy on the Wild. The Mets, Giants, and Cardinals all have an 80-71 record, but there are only 2 spots available. On top of that, the Marlins and Pirates are within 4.5 games and the Rockies even have an outside chance.
The last 2 weeks of the season should be exciting, capped off by a weekend of matchups between teams that could be jockeying for playoff position. The Dodgers and Giants, as previously mentioned, could be battling for the NL West right down to the last day. Then there is the Oriole-Yankee series and Blue Jay-Red Sox series that could affect both the AL East and the AL Wild Card races.
In the National League, the Marlins and Nationals face off in a series where both teams could be trying to get home field in their first playoff series. And finally, the Pirates and Cardinals meet in what could be a battle for the final Wild Card spot.
Rangers 1-Upping Their Opponents
The Rangers have the best record in the American League, and their success in 1-run games has a lot to do with that. They have an incredible 36-10 record in those games. Surprisingly, they are 8-9 in walk-off games.
Their .783 winning percentage in 1-run games is the best in modern baseball history. Their 36 wins ties the Pirates’ total from last season, though the Pirates needed 53 1-run games to get there. The last time an American League team had 36 wins in 1-run games was when the Orioles went 36-27 in 1978.
The Rangers’ success in 1-run games could help them in the playoffs. They have come to believe that they will come out on top in close games, and in baseball, believing can have a powerful impact.
It is highly unlikely that the Rangers will match the record of 42 wins by the 1978 Giants or the American League record of 40 by the Orioles in both 1974 and 1970. With their current rate of 1-run games, the Rangers will have 3 more in their last 10 games. It is possible, though, for them to have 6 or more, but to win them all would be unlikely.
However they finish the season, the Rangers have been an exciting team to watch. They have one game left against the Angels before heading to Oakland. They finish their season with a homestand against the Brewers and Rays.
Play of the Week
On Tuesday in Baltimore, David Ortiz had a little fun with a fan. He hit a fly ball to deep right field for an out and he let a fan know that he just missed a home run. Then, later in the game, he got a hold of one and it cleared the wall in right field. When he got to the dugout, he let the fan know that he did not miss that one.