Where the Tension Is

The Cubs are destined to win the Central and will most likely have the best record in the NL. They sit 9 games ahead of the flailing Brewers in the Central and 8 1/2 games over the Mets, the current leader for the Wild Card.

The Phillies lead the East by a 1/2 game over the Mets and at 84-67 they are unlikely to catch up to the Cubs (91-58) with 13 games left (11 for the Phillies). The Phillies have the easier schedule down the stretch and the Mets are sitting on 4 straight losses, including yesterday's 1-0 loss to Washington. The Mets get the Cubs and the Marlins. The Phils get Florida, Atlanta and Washington. I'll take the Phillies.

The NL West is a mess right now with the Dodgers having surged to a 4 1/2 game lead over the Diamondbacks. Since acquiring Manny, the Dodgers have been on fire (as has Manny) and the team many Cub fans feared like death is looking like they won't even make the playoffs.

The NL Wild Card is a tight race with the runner-up in the NL East duking it out with the fading Brewers. Houston (3 back of WC), St Louis (5 back of WC) and Florida (5 back of WC) still have a dreamer's chance, but time is running out. I still think the Brewers are better than the Mets here, but they are in shambles with 2 losses to the Cubs and the firing of Yost. I don't want to but I'm going to take the Mets here. They have to pull a few games out of their ass and with Milwaukee losing a Sabathia start yesterday, I think they're cooked.

Over in the AL, the Angels have locked it with a 92-58 record and an 18-game lead over Texas. This one was over a while ago. The White Sox cling to a 2 1/2 game lead over the Twins in the AL Central and face the Twins three more times in MN. With four games in Tampa before they get the Sox, I'm going to take the White Sox for the Division here.

The Central-leading White Sox are 84-66 and it looks like the top two teams in the AL East have 89 wins each and it can be assumed that one of them will take the Wild Card. Tampa Bay has a 1-game lead by virtue of two fewer losses than the Red Sox. The Rays and BoSox play their last game versus one another today and then the Rays get Baltimore, Minnesota and Detroit to close it out. Boston gets to go to Toronto for 3, then Cleveland at home and finish with 3 at home against the Yanks. With nothing left, the Yanks are going to look to spoil the Division crown for Boston. I'll take the Rays for the Division and Boston settling for the WC.

So, to recap...

NL East - Phils
NL Central - Cubs
NL West - Dodgers
NL WC - Mets

AL East - Tampa
AL Central - Chicago
AL West - Angels
AL WC - Boston

I don't see the Mets/Phils or the Rays/BoSox ending in any kind of 163rd game situation (or the Sox/Twinks, for that matter).

Is any of this what I thought at the beginning. I picked the Cubs and with 95 wins, but most people did. I did not see the Dodgers or Mets. I went with Arizona and St Louis as the WC. In the AL I had Cleveland, Angels, Yanks, Boston as the WC. I thought Tampa would be good, but not like this, and the Yanks disappoint yet again. You can never shake the Yankee in you, no matter where you live.