The St. Louis Cardinals secured a postseason bid thanks to the Washington Nationals 4-2 loss against the Miami Marlins, while the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates remain tied atop the NL Wild Card.
NL playoff standings: Cardinals clinch postseason berth
Taking a look at the updated NL Central and NL Wild Card standings.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The Cardinals are the third NL team to punch their ticket to the playoffs; the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have secured their divisions. St. Louis remains in the driver's seat for the NL Central, holding a two-game advantage over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
The Reds smacked the Pirates 11-3 at PNC Park on Sunday, forcing the tie in the Wild Card. Jay Bruce clubbed a bases-clearing double in the top of the first, later scoring on a Todd Frazier two-run homer. Pittsburgh starter Jeff Locke only lasted one inning, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks.
The Nationals played a double-header against the Marlins, losing the first game but winning the second. Washington entered the weekend with long odds and needed to sweep Miami to realistically keep them in the race. The Nationals have not been mathematically eliminated yet, but need a miracle to reach the postseason.
Here are the updated NL Central and NL Wild Card standings:
NL Central Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 91 | 65 | .5873 | 0 | Won 1 |
| Cincinnati | 89 | 67 | .571 | 2 | Won 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 89 | 67 | .571 | 2 | Lost 1 |
National League Wild Card Standings
| W | L | PCT | GB | STRK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 89 | 67 | .571 | 0 | Won 1 |
| Pittsburgh | 89 | 67 | .571 | 0 | Lost 1 |
| Washington | 84 | 72 | .538 | 5 | Won 1 |
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