Cardinals Giants Compete Wild Card Race MLB Series

Two NL wild-card hopefuls, the St. Louis Cardinals (76-80) and San Francisco Giants (77-79), begin a three-game series that could further determine postseason fate, with Michael McGreevy facing Justin Verlander in the opener and neither can be formally eliminated Monday while Cincinnati and New York rest. Nolan Arenado hinted the Cardinals may need to “go a different route” and suggested change could be coming, raising uncertainty about his future with two years left on his contract. The San Diego Padres likely will get veteran shortstop Xander Bogaerts back from a fractured left foot for a key three-game series against the Brewers as San Diego (85-71) reduced its magic number to two and can clinch as soon as Tuesday. The Atlanta Braves, already eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2017, bring a league-best eight-game winning streak into a three-game home series with the Washington Nationals as Chris Sale (5-5, 2.35 ERA) starts against MacKenzie Gore. In the AL West, the Seattle Mariners have surged—winning nine of 10 and sweeping the Astros after a J.P. Crawford grand slam—to take a three-game lead and position themselves for a top-two AL seed. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers closed their home slate with a 6-2 loss to Atlanta but remain a game up in the AL Central as the regular season winds down.