(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Ohio’s MLB Race Reaches Exciting Final Week
From the shores of Lake Erie to the Kentucky border, Ohio’s baseball teams are heading into a thrilling final week of the regular MLB season.
The Cleveland Guardians are chasing one of the biggest comebacks in divisional history. Once 15 ½ games behind Detroit in early July, they now trail the Tigers by just one game in the AL Central. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds have pulled even with the New York Mets for the final National League wild card, holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over New York.
No team in MLB history has won a division after trailing by more than 14 games, making Cleveland’s comeback story historic. As recently as September 11, Detroit led Cleveland by 9 ½ games. Since then, the Tigers (85-71) have struggled, losing nine of 10 games, while the Guardians (84-72) went on a 10-game winning streak, cutting the deficit to just one game in only 10 days.
Cincinnati’s Wild Card Push
The Reds have had their own challenges. On September 6, they were six games out of a playoff spot, trailing San Francisco and Arizona. A slump by New York allowed Cincinnati to pull within 1 ½ games less than a week later. After falling three games behind, the Reds completed a four-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs, tying the Mets and keeping the Diamondbacks just one game back.
Other Tight Division Races
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AL East: Toronto (90-66) leads the New York Yankees (88-68) by two games, with a first-round playoff bye on the line.
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AL West: Seattle (87-69) leads Houston (84-72) by three games, holding the tiebreaker. The Astros’ postseason streak since 2016 is at risk, with the Red Sox (85-71) also in contention for a wild card.
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NL West: San Diego trails Los Angeles by three games, but the Dodgers hold the tiebreaker, and the teams won’t meet this week.
Key Matchups
Detroit must bounce back quickly to save its season, facing Cleveland in a three-game series before finishing the regular season in Boston.
Highlights of the Week
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Line of the Week: Dominic Canzone went 5-for-5 with three home runs and four RBIs, leading Seattle to a 12-5 win over Kansas City. The Mariners’ 10-game winning streak turned a 3 ½-game deficit into a three-game division lead.
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Comeback of the Week: Philadelphia overcame a four-run deficit in the sixth inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 9-6. Despite Shohei Ohtani dominating early and hitting a home run, Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler powered a six-run sixth, with Rafael Marchán hitting a three-run homer in the ninth for the win. At one point, the Dodgers had a 94.1% win probability, according to Baseball Savant.
Baseball fans in Ohio are set for an edge-of-your-seat finish as the Guardians and Reds fight for playoff glory, while several other MLB divisions remain tightly contested.
