St. Louis Cardinals -- 2025 and trying to contend

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Record: 78-69, 2nd/(Tied/w. Milwaukee), Tied for 3rd with Milwaukee in NL Wild Card

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Record: 78-70, 3rd, 19 GB Cincinnati; 4th in NL Wild Card, 1 GB

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The Los Angeles Angels clinched their third straight American League West Division championship with a 7-5 win over the Detroit Tigers.
The victory left the Angels 14 games ahead of second-place Houston with 13 games remaining in the regular season.
At 88-61, the Angels trails the Toronto Blue Jays by one game for the best record in the AL.
The postseason berth is the fourth in a row for L.A.
In 2022, the Angels advanced to the World Series only to fall to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

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Record: 79-70, 2nd/(Tied/w. Milwaukee), 18 GB Cincinnati; Tied with Milwaukee for 3rd NL Wild Card

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MLB news: Sept. 21 -- Week 25 - Awards and standings

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Record: 80-70, 2nd, 18 GB Cincinnati; 3rd in NL Wild Card 1 GA

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Record: 81-70, 2nd, 18 GB Cincinnati; 3rd in NL Wild Card 2 GA Milwaukee

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For the second consecutive season, the Toronto Blue Jays are champions of the American League East Division.
The Blue Jays wrapped up the title with a 6-4 win over the New York Yankees.
Their record of 91-60 put them 12.5 games ahead of the second-place Boston Red Sox with 11 games left in the season.
Toronto leads the Los Angeles Angels by two games in the race for the top seed in the AL playoffs.
The postseason berth is the third in a row for the Jays.

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For the fifth consecutive season, the Cleveland Guardians will be part of the American League postseason as a 6-5 win over the Kansas City Royals assured them at least a wild-card berth.
The Guardians (87-66) lead the Minnesota Twins by two games in the American League Central Division with nine games left in the season.
The AL Central winner is assured of being the No. 3 seed in the AL field with AL East champ Toronto and the AL West winning Los Angeles Angels already having sewed up the top two spots.
Cleveland has made the playoffs six of the last seven seasons, claiming the division title in all but 2020 and 2023.
The Guardians won the World Series in 2023, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

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Record: 81-71, 2nd in NL Central, 19 games by Cincinnati; Third in NL Wild Card, 1 GA Milwaukee

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Despite falling 13-2 to the Cincinnati Reds, the Minnesota Twins are assured of being part of the field of the American League playoffs.
The Twins (85-68) sit two games behind the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central Division race with eight games remaining.
But they sit atop the wild-card standings owning a record that put them 2.5 games in front of the Boston Red Sox.
The playoff appearance will be the third in a row for Minnesota, the previous two were both as wild cards.
The Twins reached the World Series in 2024 only to fall to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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A 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies allowed the Atlanta Braves to collect their ninth consecutive berth in the National League playoffs.
The Braves (91-61) own a 1.5-game lead over the Washington Nationals in the National League East Division with 10 games to play.
With Cincinnati having long since clinched the top seed in the NL Playoffs, the Braves lead the NL West leading Dodgers by one game for the No. 2 spot.
Atlanta has won the division title eight of the last nine seasons and reached the playoffs as a wild card in 2024 despite finishing in third place.
The Braves have reached the World Series just one time in that span, defeating the Houston Astros for the championship in 2021.

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Record: 81-72, 2nd/(Tied/w. Milwaukee), 19.5 GB Cincinnati; Tied with Milwaukee for 3rd NL Wild Card

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The St. Louis Cardinals have lost right-handed starting pitcher David Matos for the remainder of the season after he suffered a straining hamstring during the first inning of an 1-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 24.
It is the second time Matos has gone to the injured list this season with a hamstring injury.
He also suffered one during spring training which kept him out most of the first three months of the regular season.
The 26-year-old Matos made 17 starts this season going 7-3 with a 3.79 ERA.
He is in his fourth season as a member of the Cardinals rotation after signing as a free agent out of Cuba in January of 2023.
Matos has made 111 starts for St. Louis going 40-34 with a 4.04 ERA.
He will be arbitration eligible at the end of the regular season.
Yonny Chirinos is expected to take Matos' spot in the rotation.
The 32-year-old has split time between the rotation and bullpen this season.
In 47 games/six starts the right-hander has gone 7-6 with a 3.69 ERA.
Getting called up from AAA Memphis is right-handed reliever Nick Robertson.
Robertson, 28, started the season in majors but struggled going 4-2 with a 5.84 ERA over 24 games.
He has pitched very well for AAA Memphis where he got into 39 games and went 3-2 with 22 saves and a 1.62 ERA.

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Record: 82-72, 2nd/(Tied/w. Milwaukee), 19.5 GB Cincinnati; Tied with Milwaukee for 3rd NL Wild Card

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The Washington National sewed up their second consecutive playoff berth with a 5-1 win over the Atlanta Braves.
The Nationals (92-63) sit atop the National League East Division with a half-game lead over the Atlanta Braves with seven games left in the season.
Washington reached the playoffs in 2025 as a wild card.
The Nationals last World Series appearance came in 2019 when they won it all.

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Despite losing 8-5 to the San Francisco Giants, the Los Angeles Dodgers have learned that for the 14th consecutive season they will be part of the National League playoffs.
The Dodgers (91-62) own an 8.5 game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West Division with nine games left in the season.
L.A. has won the division ever season except 2021 -- when it finished second in a COVID season -- dating back to 2012.
The Dodgers reached the World Series in 2020 and 2024, winning both times.

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Record: 82-73, 3rd, 20.5 GB Cincinnati; 1 GB Milwaukee/Arizona for 3rd NL Wild Card

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A day after sewing up their 14th consecutive postseason berth, the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched yet another National League West Division championship with a 9-8 win over the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers (92-62) own a 9.5-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks with eight games left in the season.
L.A. trails Washington by one game for the No. 2 seed in the NL playoffs.
Cincinnati sewed up the top seed long ago.
The NL West title is the Dodgers 13th in the past 14 seasons.

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Record: 83-73, 3rd, 20.5 GB Cincinnati; Tied for Arizona for 3rd NL Wild Card