MLB Magic Number 2013: Cardinals, Pirates, Dodgers Lose, Braves Can Clinch Today, A's Get Closer to Clinching

Sep 17, 2013 11:59 AM EDT
MLB Magic Numbers: Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves batter Chris Johnson (2nd-L) reacts as he is mobbed by his teammates after hitting in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians during their MLB inter-league baseball game in Atlanta, Georgia August 28, 2013. REUTERS/Tami Chappell "

MLB Magic numbers continue to captivate fans around the game. On Monday, teams around the league could have brought their magic numbers down, but a lot of first place teams were either inactive or they lost. Here are all the magic numbers entering Tuesday's games.

Detroit Tigers: Magic Number 7
The only first place team to win on Monday, the Tigers also received support from the Kansas City Royals, beating the second-place Cleveland Indians in a 7-1 routing. The Tigers' magic number went from nine to seven as they defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Monday. 

Atlanta Braves & Boston Red Sox: Magic Number 4
Both teams were inactive on Monday. The Braves were on schedule to play against the Washington Nationals, but that game was postponed and now the Braves play a double-header. If the Braves want to win the division on Tuesday, they will have to sweep the Nationals.
The Red Sox were inactive, but could not get support from the Tampa Bay Rays, who defeated the struggling Texas Rangers 6-2, behind Alex Cobb's pitching and Wil Myers' offensive production.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Magic Number 4
A 2-1 loss at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks prevented the Dodgers from cutting their magic number in half. The D'Backs' playoff hopes are tied to the respirators, but they can at least prevent their division foes from clinching and celebrating on their home field. The Dodgers and Braves are in the same situation. They can clinch on the road by winning two games, allowing them to clinch on the road. 

St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates: Magic Number 10
Both teams lost on Monday. The Cardinals were defeated by the Colorado Rockies, 2-6. The Pirates were completely shut down by Andrew Cashner, losing 0-2 to the San Diego Padres. Now, would it not be ironic if the third-place Cincinnati Reds can muster up some strength, go on a winning streak and surface out of the N.L. Central? That would really be an unexpected twist. Remember, it's sports, anything can happen. The Reds are just 2.5-games behind both the Pirates and Cardinals.  

Oakland Athletics: Magic Number 7 
The A's might have been blown out by the Los Angeles Angels, but the Rays gave them a hand with their magic number. An A's win would have dropped the number down to six, but they settled for the Rangers' loss to the Rays, which still allowed them to trim their magic number by one. 

Get the Most Popular Stories in a Weekly Newsletter
© 2015 Sportsworldreport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Join the Conversation

  • Get Connected
  • Share
  • Like Us on Facebook
  • @sportswr
  • Recommend on Google
Real Time Analytics