Last Day

[chuckd4735]

I'm curious as to what will happen if Atlanta and San Diego win today and those 2, plays San Fransisco finish with 91 wins. How will the NL west be decided, and how will the Wild Card be decided? I assume the West will be determined by a playoff, but does the loser of that game than play Atlanta the next day to determine the Wild Card?

Instead of do the research, I assume someone on CF will know the answer

[Dryburn]

I'm curious as to what will happen if Atlanta and San Diego win today and those 2, plays San Fransisco finish with 91 wins. How will the NL west be decided, and how will the Wild Card be decided? I assume the West will be determined by a playoff, but does the loser of that game than play Atlanta the next day to determine the Wild Card?

Instead of do the research, I assume someone on CF will know the answer

That is what someone on a show said last night. There would be the first playoff game on Monday, then another on Tuesday.

What I don't understand really is why there is no playoff game if the Rays and Yankees end up in a tie. Supposedly, if they end up in a tie, the Rays win because they won the season series. If that applies to the AL East, then why does it not apply to the NL West? Why does SD not just win the division if they end up in a tie with SF? And why have the Twins had to play 2 games 163 the last two years since they won both of those season series? I don't get it. I'm sure there is something I am missing but...I hope someone can explain.

[IcSyU]

I'm guessing the difference for the Twins is that it was for a playoff spot, not for Wildcard or division champ.

[Dryburn]

I'm guessing the difference for the Twins is that it was for a playoff spot, not for Wildcard or division champ.

Nope. Both times it was to determine who won the division. They finished tied with Chicago in 08, Detroit in 09. I get that the Rays and Yankees are both in the playoffs, but I just don't understand why the division champion for the AL East is determined by the season series winner, and the NL West cannot be determined that way.

[drmwevr08]

The twins really limped in. They had every opportunity to win home field and refused to do it. I hope the Rangers beat the Rays, then, on the off chance that the Twins finally get past the yankees they will get home field handed back to them.

Oh, and GO REDS!

[jdoggivjc]

Nope. Both times it was to determine who won the division. They finished tied with Chicago in 08, Detroit in 09. I get that the Rays and Yankees are both in the playoffs, but I just don't understand why the division champion for the AL East is determined by the season series winner, and the NL West cannot be determined that way.

I think it has a lot to do with what the Twins went through the last two years - the loser of that play-in game didn't make the playoffs, and it didn't matter who won the season series. Unlike the Yankees-Rays, where the loser of the tiebreaker was going to be in the playoffs anyway, that wasn't going to necessarily happen, as had the Padres won yesterday there would have been a 3-way tie for the Wild Card and a tie for the NL West. Had the Padres won yesterday, the Giants were not guaranteed a playoff spot. That's the essential difference. They assume the worst-case scenario and settle the division before they settle the Wild Card.