MLB final day: Phillies wild card, Astros-Rangers AL West tie — SkimNews
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- San Diego Padres clinched the No. 4 NL wild-card seed with Saturday's win over Arizona, securing home-field advantage (50-30 at home) and a chance to rest top relievers before Tuesday's series against the Cubs.
- Philadelphia Phillies still control their own wild-card destiny despite a 12-1 Saturday loss to Tampa Bay, but the loss forces Zack Wheeler to start Sunday, making him unavailable for Game 1 of the wild-card series.
- Houston Astros and Texas Rangers sit at 80-81, guaranteeing MLB's first-ever sub-.500 division winner; the Astros clinch the AL West with a win or a Rangers loss.
- Cleveland Guardians clinched the AL Central on Saturday, earning the No. 2 seed, an ALDS bye, and saving rookie Parker Messick from a high-pressure clinch start so he can pitch Game 1 fresh.
- Yordan Alvarez holds a 10-point lead in the AL batting race (.316 to .306) and sits one home run behind Pete Alonso, positioning him as the favorite for the award even if Houston loses the division.
- Pete Alonso can become the first player to lead both leagues in RBIs; he leads Alvarez by eight entering Sunday after pacing the NL in 2022 with the Mets.
- Max Scherzer will start Sunday for the Blue Jays in what may be his final MLB appearance, a day after Justin Verlander's emotional Detroit goodbye; Scherzer has not announced his retirement, saying he'll decide in the offseason.
Why it matters: The Phillies' September swoon (worst MLB OPS at .220/.299/.341) leaves Aaron Nola—who gave up three runs in one inning Saturday—as the likely Game 1 starter, the AL West guarantees MLB's first-ever sub-.500 division winner, and Verlander already said goodbye while Scherzer's future hangs on an offseason decision.
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