Matchups

The St. Louis Cardinals can clinch their third consecutive National League Central title with a victory over the rival Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in either game of the doubleheader on Wednesday. Matt Carpenter, who scored the eventual game-winning run in Monday's 3-0 triumph, is 19-for-52 (.365) with six homers, 11 runs scored and 10 RBIs in his last 13 games.

The Toronto Blue Jays have the opportunity to clinch their sixth American League East crown - and first since 1993 - when they play a doubleheader with the host Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Toronto has won five in a row and can wrap up the division with either one victory or a New York Yankees' loss to the rival Boston Red Sox.

The Minnesota Twins are playing solid baseball but it remains uncertain whether the team can land the American League's second wild-card berth entering Wednesday's doubleheader against the host Cleveland Indians. Minnesota has won six of its last eight games and it trails the Los Angeles Angels by 1 1/2 games for the final spot.

The Toronto Blue Jays have the opportunity to clinch their sixth American League East crown - and first since 1993 - when they play a doubleheader with the host Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Toronto has won five in a row and can wrap up the division with either one victory or a New York Yankees' loss to the rival Boston Red Sox.

The New York Yankees are on the verge of locking up a postseason spot, but the team is not looking like much of a contender of late. The Yankees will try to clinch a wild card and turn around the series when they host the Boston Red Sox in the third of a four-game set on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Angels have passed Houston for the second American League wild-card spot, but they’re far from satisfied. The hottest team in the major leagues has won 10 of its last 12 contests to move one-half game ahead of the Astros and sit two games behind first-place Texas in the AL West heading into Wednesday’s series finale against the visiting Oakland Athletics, who have lost four straight and nine of their last 10.

The Philadelphia Phillies have managed only three victories in 17 tries against the New York Mets in 2015 but can string a pair together when they host the National League East champions on Wednesday. The Phillies, who own the worst record in the majors (60-97), ended New York’s 11-game road winning streak with a 4-3 triumph Tuesday to open the three-game set.

The St. Louis Cardinals can clinch their third consecutive National League Central title with a victory over the rival Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in either game of the doubleheader on Wednesday. Matt Carpenter, who scored the eventual game-winning run in Monday's 3-0 triumph, is 19-for-52 (.365) with six homers, 11 runs scored and 10 RBIs in his last 13 games.

The Minnesota Twins are playing solid baseball but it remains uncertain whether the team can land the American League's second wild-card berth entering Wednesday's doubleheader against the host Cleveland Indians. Minnesota has won six of its last eight games and it trails the Los Angeles Angels by 1 1/2 games for the final spot.

The Tampa Bay Rays weren’t supposed to be the team battling to stay out of last place in the final week of the regular season, but that’s the way things turned out in the American League East. The Miami Marlins, who visit the Rays in the middle of a three-game series on Wednesday, are no strangers to the bottom of the standings and are closing out their sixth straight losing campaign.

The season can not end soon enough for the beleaguered Washington Nationals. The predominant favorite to win the National League East, Washington has sandwiched six losses in its last eight outings around an embarrassing dugout incident heading into the second contest of a three-game series with the host Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

The Chicago Cubs still have a chance at claiming home-field advantage for next week's probable wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates and are facing the right opponent in terms of making up ground. Chicago posted a 4-1 victory over host Cincinnati in Tuesday's opener of a three-game set and the loss was the Reds' 10th in a row.

The Texas Rangers have halted a three-game skid and look to post another victory over Detroit when they host the Tigers in Wednesday's finale of a three-game set. Texas is in a three-team battle for the American League West crown and leads the Los Angeles Angels by two games and the Houston Astros by 2 1/2.

The Kansas City Royals clinched the American League Central last week but are in danger of falling out of the race for home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The Royals seek their second win in six opportunities on Wednesday, when they continue a three-game set in Chicago against the White Sox.

The Arizona Diamondbacks attempt to secure their second series victory when they host the National league West-rival Colorado Rockies on Wednesday in the middle contest of their three-game set. After capturing two of three at San Diego, the Diamondbacks outlasted the Rockies in Tuesday's series opener as they began their season-ending six-game homestand.

The Houston Astros suffered a devastating defeat in their pursuit of a playoff spot and attempt to bounce back when they visit the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. Houston dropped a 6-4 decision to Seattle on Tuesday, allowing the Los Angeles Angels to take possession of the American League's second wild-card spot.

The Milwaukee Brewers seek their first series victory in seven tries when they visit the San Diego Padres on Wednesday for the middle contest of their three-game set. Milwaukee, which hasn't captured a series since taking two of three at Cincinnati from Sept. 5-6, took the first step toward accomplishing the feat with a 4-3 triumph in Tuesday's opener.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have clinched their third consecutive National League West title, but don’t expect many regulars to rest Wednesday when they continue a four-game series against the host San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers are one game back of the New York Mets for home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs with five games to play, although the Mets hold the tiebreaker based on a better head-to-head record.