Photo: Duane Burleson / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The race for postseason berths is intensifying in Major League Baseball as teams vie for spots in the playoffs. Eleven games are scheduled for today (August 17), starting with the first half of a split doubleheader between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati. The Cardinals enter the day three-and-a-half games behind the final National League wild card spot.
In the American League, six teams are tightly packed within two-and-a-half games of a wild card berth. Among them are the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers, currently on a three-game losing streak, will face the Pittsburgh Pirates in a series opener in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the Twins aim to break their three-game losing streak as they host the Atlanta Braves.
The playoff format this year includes the top two division winners in each league receiving byes to the Division Series. The remaining teams, consisting of the third division winner and three wild card teams, will compete in a best-of-three Wild Card Series, with the higher seed hosting all three games.
As the season progresses, teams will continue to battle for these coveted playoff positions, making every game crucial in the coming weeks.