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00:00live right here on the early line on sports grid. The month
00:06is August next up September and then of course October that's
00:11the heart of the postseason in Major League Baseball. We are
00:15nearing the home stretch of a long marathon that is 162 games
00:20in an MLB regular season. So let's update the postseason
00:24picture in both leagues. We start with the AL. Here's the
00:29numbers right now in the expanded postseason seeds 1
00:33through 6. The Orioles and the Yankees. The O's a slight
00:37advantage despite having the same record as the Yanks based
00:41on the tiebreaker for that American League East divisional
00:44top spot. So the Orioles have the best record in the AL
00:47technically and in the American League East. A half game in
00:51front of the Guardians who have a substantial lead in the
00:54American League Central. The Astros and the Mariners continue
00:57to flip-flop for the top spot in the AL West. The Astros have
01:01a half game lead at this moment. The three wildcard teams
01:04currently DRS in the American League, the Yankees, Twins,
01:08Royals. That is the picture as of right now. Yes, and we're
01:14also taking a look. Let's go over the overall standings in
01:16the American League, right? Just to take a look at how these
01:18teams records and how they line up. It's no surprise. Once
01:21again, two best teams in the American League just by record
01:23wise Ben, that's the Orioles and the Yankees. They're going
01:26to come down the stretch, jockey for position, a major
01:29advantage to the team that's going to win the AL East. But
01:32outside of that, the one team again, when we, you know, we've
01:35sent out tweets here on the Sports Grid Network, which clearly
01:38says me like, look, the Orioles and the Yankees to two best
01:40teams in the American League bar none. And I think it's holding
01:43up now because you're looking at the Guardians and there's
01:45no shame in the Guardians game. Just a few days ago. They were
01:48looking at the best record overall Major League Baseball,
01:51but now losers of five straight games. I understand the ebbs
01:53and flows of the Major League Baseball schedule. The Phillies
01:56were going through it. That looks like they're starting to
01:58pull themselves out. The Guardians are right in the middle
02:00of it with a five-game loss. This is why I look towards the
02:03late games in the season and also obviously first couple
02:06weeks of October trying to advance in the playoffs. I just
02:09don't know if the Guardians have enough firepower here from
02:12a pitching perspective and a hitting perspective to get over
02:14the hump. And what I mean by the hump is taking down the Orioles
02:17and the Yankees who are stacked from a frontline starting staff.
02:20Hopefully if they're healthy from a bullpen perspective and
02:22the one through nine lineup each and every day twins Royals
02:25Red Sox Astros. Yeah, all good stories. We'll talk about them
02:28making the playoffs. But for my money once again in the
02:30American League, it's the Orioles and the Yankees and it's
02:33everybody else and the Guardians making me look technically
02:36smart about that right now losing five straight games.
02:40DRS everybody in the everybody in the bigs has played a hundred
02:44and thirteen games, which means we have less than 50 for all
02:4730 clubs around MLB. Some teams like the Cubbies and the Dodgers
02:51have played a hundred and seventeen. So they're even closer
02:54to 162. The reason I bring that up is because we can start to
02:58categorize these games as the home stretch as for the American
03:02League East the Yankees right now technically tied record-wise
03:06at 68 and 47 alongside Baltimore in the pinstripe say minus
03:10175 odds on favorite to win the AL East on the fan duel sports
03:15book, but the O's have the tiebreaker. They've taken six
03:18of the 10 games against the Yanks so far this year. The two
03:22teams will meet up in the Bronx in the second to last series
03:26of this season. How decisive could that be down the final week
03:30of the regular season that remains to be seen the Guardians
03:33on a slide. They've dropped five in a row now only a three
03:36and a half game lead in the American League Central. But
03:39when you look at the odds still minus 170 and again back in
03:44fourth, they go atop the American League West. Does somebody
03:47want to take a stronghold of this division does not seem to
03:51be the case the Astros minus 185 as the division favorites
03:55in front of Seattle Houston holds a half game lead now over
03:59the Mariners. Now, here's the wild card watch around the
04:02American League. Whoever doesn't win the American League
04:05East between the O's and the Bombers that team is more than
04:09likely going to be the top American League wildcard team.
04:12Currently, it's the Yanks. The twins have pretty much been
04:15in that second spot of three in the AL wildcard chase for
04:18a good majority of this season. Then you have the Royals and
04:22the Red Sox Casey avoids the sweep at home yesterday.
04:25Thanks to Bobby Witt Jr.
04:27So the Royals a game and a half advantage over Boston for
04:30the third and final American League wildcard position.
04:33Yeah, not as crazy as the National League certainly that
04:35we'll get to but if you're looking at the Yankees twins
04:37and Royals comfortable in that spot along with the Red Sox
04:40and the Red Sox are a game and a half out of that spot,
04:42but you can clearly see them a game and a half with you
04:45know, August and September to go you can make up those
04:48numbers. You start to see the Seattle Mariners bound.
04:50They're four and a half games.
04:51Well, you better just take that out of the equation.
04:53You better win that division or else you're not getting
04:55into the playoffs.
04:56So it seems like technically for me it is a four game race
04:59here in this with the Yankees slash Orioles.
05:02Then you have the twins Royals and then the Red Sox you
05:04just outside of it.
05:05The Tampa Bay Rays five and a half back.
05:07I think that's too long.
05:08Obviously the Detroit Tigers eight and a half games back.
05:10They're not making it into it again.
05:11You could talk about the Rangers where I think they're
05:13not out of the divisional race as they're playing themselves
05:16out of it as opposed to making in a wild card run.
05:18So seems to me like that cutoff is going to be at the Red
05:21Sox and those teams will be jockeying for position the rest
05:24of the way.
05:24I just don't see it any other way like again with the Rays
05:26five and a half games back.
05:28Could they get hot?
05:28Yes, but they basically told their team at the deadline.
05:31Look, we're not really going to fortify this lineup and
05:33make a big run here.
05:35Which would be fascinating in the American League Central
05:38to see three of the five teams the Guardians as the champs
05:42the twins and the Royals earn playoff spots.
05:45KC minus 164 to make the postseason in the American League
05:49Boston even money plus 100 and I think Donnie's point there
05:53was very sound on Seattle.
05:55The Mariners plus 112 to see the American League playoffs
05:59plus 145 to win the American League West.
06:02They're only a half game behind Houston in that component.
06:06The M's DRS to your point four and a half games out of a
06:09wild card spot.
06:11So whether it's the Astros or the Mariners those two clubs
06:14best chances of seeing the American League postseason just
06:18taking care of business in the division.
06:20Yeah, you better do that.
06:21And that's what you have to focus on what sometimes takes
06:23you know, many times you take a look and say, hey, let's
06:25just scoreboard watch.
06:26You don't really have to do that.
06:27Your scoreboard watching basically one team here for the
06:29Mariners just worrying about what the Houston Astros are
06:31doing sure winning on the field and they can they overcome
06:34and say, you know, what the Astros were great down the
06:36stretch we were to we lost out on the division but made
06:38the wild card.
06:39Yes, there's still an opportunity but the most feasible
06:41way to get in is just to beat the team.
06:43That's just in front of you at this point right now.
06:45So that's singular focus for the Mariners been might be
06:48able to help them down the stretch because you're not
06:50watching six teams.
06:51You have to climb over with three and a half games between
06:53you. You're just worried about one team here.
06:55And also when you win the division to the victors go the
06:58spoils here where you actually get home field advantage
07:00around number one.
07:02Yeah, it's a huge point DRS and also start to pay attention
07:05to strength of schedule around Major League Baseball, Kansas
07:10City second hardest schedule remaining Boston 13th most
07:14difficult schedule much more middle of the pack.
07:17Unfortunately for KC no more games remaining against the
07:21Chicago White Sox in the division down to the NL up next
07:25looking at the National League postseason picture, but a
07:28breaking news update from the AL the Chicago White Sox have
07:32reportedly made a move according to underdog MLB the Chicago
07:37White Sox have fired their manager Pedro Griffo who has
07:42been the manager there for two years.
07:45What what did I say it wrong?
07:46Is it Griffo?
07:47No, just I'm just like the whole scenario is just fantastic
07:51at this.
07:51I mean just with this guy, by the way, the only objective
07:53here been for us with the White Sox firing Griffo is that
07:57you're going to have to go back to Ozzie gain.
07:59No, is that like all like it's got to be Ozzie gain goes
08:01right back in there.
08:02It has to be that way.
08:04I mean, it really does have to be he's on the coverage.
08:07I know he works for the White Sox in terms of their television
08:11coverage and I saw a great clip of him calling in the other
08:14night because he wasn't in studio when Griffo finally led
08:17the White Sox to a victory to snap the historic 21 game
08:21losing skid, but why do it the day after the day after Chicago
08:26snap the skid?
08:27Yeah, they lost the rubber match yesterday in Oakland.
08:30Was that the final nail in the coffin?
08:32We're back to 61 losses below 500.
08:36What's the point?
08:37They said look man, you blew that to nothing lead.
08:39We just can't watch anymore.
08:41But I do understand what the concept was here.
08:44You're not like let's just say he did lose 22 and they fired
08:46him. What new managers coming in like, hey, by the way, hit
08:49the ground running.
08:50Let's see how much he can extend this historic losing streak.
08:53So sort of made sense where it's like, okay, we can't put
08:56an interim manager in place during this lengthy long streak.
08:59Hopefully he'll break this sooner than later.
09:01We'll can him the minute he breaks it and then the new manager
09:04comes in and basically has a clean slate at this point not
09:06looking over his shoulder with that massive losing streak,
09:09but firing the manager as if that was his fault with that
09:12travesty of a team.
09:14But again, sometimes the players can't go the manager always
09:17can go and that's what happened here in Chicago.
09:20I mean, it's really the ownership looking at you.
09:22Mr.
09:23Reinsdorf 89 and a hundred and ninety.
09:26That's the record in about a year and a half or a little bit
09:29more than a year and a half for Pedro Gafal in Chicago 61
09:33and 101 a year ago 28 and 89 currently for the White Sox.
09:39That's an overall win percentage of 0.319.
09:44Listen, he might be the scapegoat.
09:46He might be the figurehead.
09:47He has now been fired.
09:48The White Sox officially releasing that information as well
09:52that Pedro Gafal has been fired as the manager on the south
09:57side. Oh boy.
09:58Anyway, as we go around the National League, here is what
10:02the playoff picture looks like at this moment and we have
10:05seen some changes not in the divisional frontrunners the
10:08Phillies the Dodgers or the Brewers in the National League
10:11Central, but the National League wildcard that around the
10:13all-star break was highly competitive.
10:15We had six teams really separated by about two two and a
10:18half games.
10:19Well, the teams out of the National League West cannot seem
10:22to lose the Arizona Diamondbacks 12 victories in their last
10:2514 games 14 and 4 since the all-star break the San Diego
10:31Padres keep winning as well for consecutive wins.
10:34I believe 13 and 3 since the all-star break they have taken
10:38command of those top two spots in the National League wildcard
10:42and the Braves have lost four in a row at a bad time.
10:45They fall to that third and final spot.
10:47It's crazy and you're right.
10:49It's just the pressure that you're putting on from two teams.
10:51We expected to be decent teams coming into the season.
10:54The Padres and Dimebacks playing great baseball.
10:56Now, if you extend it down the Braves should have been just
10:59walking into that first overall wildcard seed, but they've
11:02been so injured.
11:03So damaged right now at this point and they just can't hit
11:05their falling by the wayside the Mets Cardinals and the Giants,
11:08but here's where the problem comes in once again, because
11:10yes, we're going to say three teams have to make the wildcard
11:14but I'm telling you right now the Pittsburgh Pirates now
11:16have lost three straight baseball games.
11:18They said four games back of that wildcard.
11:21I'm telling you right now just keep an eye on it because
11:24if you do have a ticket in your pocket for schemes, he's
11:26a wonderful pitcher, but we were talking just two weeks ago.
11:29Okay.
11:30Look at the Pirates.
11:30They're ready to half game out of the wildcard.
11:32They can do this year, which was great for those tickets.
11:35If the Pirates continue to slip where they're six and seven
11:38games back with two weeks to play.
11:40You are not going to see Paul schemes over those final two
11:42starts just to get innings in keep an eye on the Pirates.
11:45If you have that schemes ticket, you better start cheering
11:48on the Padres and the Dimebacks the falter here.
11:51So at least they don't run away with those wildcard spots
11:53pushing you back further and further and further DRS.
11:58We're starting to see though those levels of separation.
12:00As you said the buck goes now four games out of a wildcard
12:03spot even the Cardinals two games out and it does not seem
12:08like San Diego L or Arizona are slowing down anytime soon.
12:12Of course, they're not going to stay this hot for the remainder
12:15of the 45 or 50 games left in this MLB regular season, but
12:19the Padres 13 and three since the all-star break Arizona
12:2314 and four since the all-star break as you look around the
12:27divisions in the National League, the Phil's a seven and
12:30a half game lead over Atlanta.
12:32The Brute crew a six-game lead in the National League Central.
12:35The Dodgers actually seeing their lead Titan only three games
12:40up. They've won the division 10 of the last 11 years hour
12:43three coming your way down.