With fewer than two months remaining in the Major League Baseball season, the playoff races are tightening — and the Phillies, Orioles, Nationals and even the Pirates still have something to play for.
Philadelphia avoided what would have been a costly sweep Sunday, beating Toronto 7-6 in 12 innings at Citizens Bank Park. Derek Hill delivered the walk-off single as the Phillies improved to 63-56 and salvaged the finale of the three-game series. Kyle Schwarber homered twice and drove in four runs.
The victory was especially important with Philadelphia battling Arizona and San Diego for National League wild-card positioning. The Phillies and Diamondbacks are both 63-56, while the Padres are 62-57.
Arizona helped itself Sunday by beating the Dodgers 4-2, while San Diego defeated Houston 7-2.
Baltimore also avoided a sweep Sunday and kept itself squarely in the American League wild-card chase with a 10-5 victory at Texas.
Pete Alonso had his biggest game since joining the Orioles, homering twice, driving in four runs and reaching base five times. Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill also homered as Baltimore broke out of an August offensive slump. The Orioles improved to 57-61 and are only two games out of the final AL wild-card position.
That’s an encouraging position for a club that raised questions about its 2026 intentions by trading popular catcher Adley Rutschman before the deadline. Baltimore now heads to Minnesota for a series against another wild-card contender.
Washington is also refusing to disappear.
The Nationals rolled past Cincinnati 7-1 Sunday for their third consecutive victory, improving to 59-61. Washington collected 13 hits while holding the Reds to four and is now 4½ games from a wild-card berth.
The weekend wasn’t nearly as encouraging for Pittsburgh.
The Pirates were hammered 11-1 by the Mets on Sunday as New York took the series. Bo Bichette had five hits and three RBIs, Luis Robert Jr. drove in four, and Mets starter Sean Manaea struck out 11 over seven innings. Pittsburgh starter Jared Jones was charged with eight runs as the Pirates lost for the fifth time in six games.
At 58-62, Pittsburgh has fallen 5½ games out of the NL wild-card picture, and with several teams between the Pirates and a playoff spot, there is little room for another prolonged slump.
Elsewhere Sunday, the Brewers edged Minnesota 4-3 and continue to own baseball’s best record at 74-44. The Cubs, meanwhile, routed Kansas City 10-2 and remain firmly in the postseason picture.
Atlanta edged the Yankees 2-1 and remains atop the NL East, while the Dodgers’ loss to Arizona tightened matters behind Los Angeles in the NL West.
The regular season now has roughly seven weeks remaining, and the trade deadline is in the rearview mirror. That leaves contenders with no more reinforcements coming through major trades — only the players already on the roster, possible waiver additions and September call-ups.
Football is also beginning to creep back onto the sports calendar. The NFL preseason is underway, with teams evaluating rookies, position battles and roster depth before the regular season begins in September.
But for now, baseball still owns the spotlight. And with the Phillies, Orioles, Nationals and Pirates all mathematically alive, the next several weeks should provide plenty of scoreboard watching.
Source: MLB, The Athletic