Game 162 and the Last: Kayfabe

Politicals, I think are obvious.  I do think it's Houston vs. Cobb County again, Houston beating Baltimore in the ALCS and Cobb County defeating the Milwaukee/NL#6 winner in the NLCS.  (I think the Urias suspension will get the Dodgers out in the DS, and probably without much resistance.)

So let's fill in the dance card:

American League:

Tampa beat Toronto Saturday 7-5.

Texas beat Seattle 6-1.

Houston beat Arizona 1-0.

So we have our six in the AL, Seattle eliminated with the loss:

1. Baltimore
2. AL West winner between Texas and Houston.  Texas if they win or Houston loses tomorrow, Houston if they win and Texas loses.
3. Minnesota
4. Tampa Bay
5. Toronto/Texas/Houston
6. Toronto/Houston/Texas

So now the only two things left are the AL West, and the 5 and 6 placements.

The AL West is simple:  Texas wins or Houston loses, Texas Rangers are champs.  Houston must win and Texas lose to win the division.  Houston wins the tiebreaker with Texas 9 wins to 4.  That has to be dealt with first.

Whichever of the two teams does not win the AL West:  

If Texas wins, then if one of Houston or Toronto wins and the other does not, the one of those two which wins is the #5, the other the #6.  

If all three gain the same result, win or lose, or both Toronto and Houston lose with Texas winning, Toronto is the #5 and Houston is the #6, Toronto winning the season series 4-3.  

If Houston and Toronto win and Texas loses, Houston wins the division, Toronto is the #5 and Texas is the #6 due to a 6-1 record over Texas.

If Houston wins, and Toronto and Texas both lose, then Texas is the #5 one game outright over Toronto, after Houston wins the tiebreaker for the division.

National League:

Arizona lost, see above.

Miami beat Pittsburgh 7-3

St. Louis revenged Cincinnati by a similar ridiculous score to Friday night's.

Cubs beat Milwaukee 10-6

1. Cobb County Barfs (and WS HFA if/when they get there)
2. Dodgers
3. Milwaukee
4. Philadelphia
5. Miami/Arizona
6. Miami/Arizona

So we now do know the 12 teams which will contest the playoffs.  We just have the 5/6 to settle in the NL, and a half-inning in New York could make this mighty complicated.

Cubs were eliminated today because, even one game behind Arizona, they lost the season series 6-1 to Arizona.  (They also lost to Miami 4-2.)

Cincinnati eliminated today with the loss.

Miami has the tiebreaker with Arizona.  The Monday bottom of the 9th in New York only matters if Arizona wins Sunday and Miami loses.  Then and only then, Miami has all to play for in 5-20 or so minutes in New York. They lead that game 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth.