PHOENIX (AP) — Rookie sensation Corbin Carroll was all smiles Wednesday, a few minutes after stealing his 50th base of the season, cracking his 25th homer and leading the streaking Arizona Diamondbacks to their fifth straight win.
If the 22-year-old is fazed by September playoff-chase baseball, he certainly hasn’t shown it. Ten days remain in MLB’s regular season, and the playoff races are hot, particulary in a crowded National League.
“This is the fun part,” Carroll said.
Of course, that depends on which way you’re trending.
For every team rising this time of the year, there’s almost always another team going in the opposite direction. During their five-game winning streak, the D-backs took three straight from the Chicago Cubs and two more from the San Francisco Giants, two teams backsliding in the NL wild-card picture.
The Giants fell to 76-76 after Wednesday’s games and need a minor miracle to get into the postseason.
“These were must-win games and, going back several games, those were also must-win games,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “Now, the math is not on our side. Every game is one we have to win.”
The NL wild-card race has been tight for the better part of a month, with the Phillies, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Marlins, Reds and Giants scrambling to claim three playoff positions. It’s exactly the kind of drama MLB hoped for when it expanded the playoff field from 10 to 12 teams before the 2022 season.
Here are some of the other storylines as the long 162-game regular season reaches its end.
AL WEST SCRAMBLE
The American League playoff race isn’t quite as crowded, but it’s still a good one.
The Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and surprising Seattle Mariners are in a close fight for the AL West — the three teams were separated by just a half-game in the standings after Wednesday. Simultaneously, all three are contending with the Toronto Blue Jays for a potential AL wild-card spot.
When the dust finally settles, three of the four teams will be in the playoffs. One will not.
“It’s just fun to be playing meaningful games,” Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman said on Wednesday. “Every game matters right now and every win is one step closer to our goal.”
NL AWARDS
The NL MVP race continues to be an epic showdown between Ronald Acuña and Mookie Betts.
