The entire Major League Baseball playoff field could be finalized on Saturday, with both the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies poised to taste champagne on the penultimate day of the 2017 regular season.
Red Sox & Rockies could clinch on Saturday & finalize MLB playoff field
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Sox lost at home to the Houston Astros for a second straight night on Friday, but remain two games ahead of the New York Yankees in the American League East with just two games left to play. Boston’s magic number to clinch the division is just one, needing either a win over the Astros (1:05 p.m. ET, Fox) or a Yankees loss to the Toronto Blue Jays (1:05 p.m., Fox).
AL East standings
Team | W-L | Pct | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Sox | 92-68 | .575 | ---- |
| Yankees | 90-70 | .563 | 2 |
If the Red Sox win the division, that locks in the Yankees as the top Wild Card in the AL, and New York would host the Minnesota Twins in the AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
Houston’s win over the Red Sox gave the Astros 100 wins, one behind the Cleveland Indians for the best record in the American League. Cleveland beat Houston in five of their six meetings in 2017 so the Indians own the tiebreaker. The Indians need only one win or an Astros loss to clinch the top seed in the AL and a Division Series matchup with the Wild Card Game winner.
A Red Sox win would seal everything in the AL, and ensure an ALDS matchup with the Astros, meaning Boston and Houston could potentially play nine consecutive games against each other.
In the National League, everything is set but the second Wild Card spot. The Rockies are in control, especially after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-1 at Coors Field on Friday night.
NL Wild Card standings
Team | W-L | Pct | GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamondbacks* | 92-68 | .575 | +5 |
| Rockies | 87-73 | .544 | ---- |
| Brewers | 85-75 | .531 | 2 |
Colorado owns a two-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers with two games to play, and a magic number of one to clinch a date with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Wild Card Game on Wednesday night at Chase Field in Phoenix.
The Brewers are on the road facing the St. Louis Cardinals (4:15 p.m., FS1). Milwaukee needs wins on both Saturday and Sunday at Busch Stadium and needs two Rockies losses at home to force a one-game playoff on Monday.
Saturday schedule
All times ET
1:05 p.m.: Astros at Red Sox (Fox)
Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Drew Pomeranz
1:05 p.m.: Blue Jays at Yankees (Fox)
Marcus Stroman vs. CC Sabathia
4:15 p.m.: Brewers at Cardinals (FS1)
Junior Guerra vs. Luke Weaver
7:10 p.m.: White Sox at Indians
Carson Fulmer vs. Corey Kluber
8:10 p.m.: Dodgers at Rockies
Clayton Kershaw vs German Marquez
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