MLB playoffs: 30 days of showdown September games

Thirty days hath September…and this year every one of those 30 days hath at least one critical game in the race to the MLB playoffs.

With most, although not all, divisional races being tightly contested plus boiling wild card chases in both leagues, the fight for MLB playoffs survival is likely to be a constant one this September.

It’s always possible, of course, that one or more of the contenders of the moment might hit a tailspin and drop out of MLB playoffs contention. But if none does, the coming month promises to of the “thrill a minute” nature.

Here’s a day-by-day look at the potential pennant pivot points.

September 1-2: In Philadelphia, the Cubs continue their ongoing effort to hold off the charging Cardinals and determined Brewers during the final two games of their three-game set against the Phillies. The home team has its own agenda, simultaneously hoping to haul down Atlanta in the NL East and/or gain on the Cardinals and Brewers in the wild-card race. In Los Angeles, the Dodgers face the Diamondbacks, one of two teams ahead of them in the NL West.

September 3-5: If the Oakland Athletics seriously intend to make a run at the AL West or cement their present position as the second wild card, a win in their three-game home series vs. the Yankees is critical. New York, still hoping to haul down Boston, will have its own survival instincts tested.  From the West Coast, the Yanks can scoreboard-watch Boston’s progress in three games against the NL East leading Braves. In Milwaukee, the Brewers get their first of two shots at gaining ground on the NL Central leading Cubs.

September 6: Coming off its series against the Red Sox, Atlanta’s Braves fly out to Phoenix for the first of four games against the Diamondbacks, who by then may still be leading the NL West.

September 7-9: The Braves and D-Backs continue their four-game showdown in the desert. In Boston, it’s a potential ALCS preview when the defending World Series champion Astros hit town for three against the Red Sox. In Denver, the Dodgers continue their late playoff push in three games against the Rockies. The Yankees fly to Seattle for three games against the Mariners, who hope to breathe some life into their flagging hopes in the AL wild card.

September 10-12: The Brewers and Cubs reprise their three-game set of the previous week, this time at Wrigley Field. In Denver, the Rockies host the D-Backs for the first three of four games that could be decisive in the NL West race.

September 13: Arizona and Colorado conclude their season series in Denver.

September 14-16: Depending on their performance in Denver, the Diamondbacks may be in the NL West driver’s seat, they may be desperate, or nothing may have been resolved.  Either way, they’re off to Los Angeles for three games against the Dodgers, whose post-season hopes are likely to be on the line.

September 17: Arizona faces probably the most challenging September in baseball, and it includes this opener of a three-game home series against the Cardinals. The Rockies follow the Diamondbacks into Los Angeles for the first of three against the Dodgers.

September 18-19: Beyond continuation of the vital series in Phoenix and Los Angeles, the Red Sox hit New York for the first two of three games against the Yankees, who by then may be serious divisional contenders.

September 20: Boston and New York conclude the three-game series in the Bronx. In Atlanta, the Phillies and Braves open a four-game joust likely to be for the NL East division lead.

September 21-23: The Phillies and Braves meet for the final three times with the NL East title and/or wild card hopes likely to be in play. In Phoenix, the Rockies and Diamondbacks close their season series, probably playing for leadership in the NL West.

September 24-26: If Oakland remains in contention for either the AL West or wild card, the A’s three-game series against the aspiring (and possibly expiring) Mariners in Seattle will be make-or-break. By the start of the season’s final week, either the Cardinals or Brewers (or both) may have caught the Cubs or they may have been left behind. Either way, their three-game showdown in St. Louis is likely to be life-or-death for one or both. In Colorado, the season’s last pivotal inter-divisional series throws the Phillies against the Rockies in what probably will be another survival test for one or both. If the Dodgers are still alive and well, their three-game trip to Arizona will be crucial for the MLB playoffs.

September 27: The Phillies and Rockies wrap up that last-gasp inter-divisional series.

September 28-30: The schedule maker got it right. The season’s final weekend features three potentially pivotal series. In Boston, the Yankees face three games against the Red Sox that could be for the AL East title, or for wild card survival. In Chicago, the Cubs host the Cardinals with the NL Central potentially on the line. If that title is wrapped up, then survival in the NL wild card race is the likely consolation prize. Finally, in Philadelphia, the surprising Braves and equally surprising Phillies square off for three games that could determine the NL East champion. Again, an NL wild card spot may simultaneously be in play.

This final month of the season could be a very intriguing as we press forward to the MLB playoffs!