Today’s Lineups

To some surprise, the D-backs have not folded since the trade deadline. Indeed, they are 8-4, which has sparked some chatter about us being “back in the wild-card race.” I’m here to pour cold water on that idea – at least, until proven otherwise. Arizona still sits three games below .500, at 59-62. We may have caught up with the Giants for third in the division, but the team still sits 5.5 games back of the final wild-card, currently owned by the Mets. The Cardinals and Reds also stand between the D-backs and that spot. 5.5 games may not sound much. But no NL team in the past fifty years have made the playoffs from fewer than sixty wins through 121 games.

The last such was the 1973 Mets, who were 55-66, then went 27-13 the rest of the way, to win the NL East with a mere 8

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