MLB magic numbers, schedules: White Sox win AL Central; Red Sox, Yankees still hold Wild Card spots (9/24/21)

While All-Star reliever Liam Hendriks and the Chicago White Sox will be in the postseason as American League Central champions, it's looking like the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals will play in the NL Wild Card Game.

The Chicago White Sox have been on top in the American League Central every day since May 7, they had a double-digit lead since August and on Thursday became the first club to wrap up a division title.

The White Sox clinched with a win over the Cleveland Indians in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Chicago probably will be the third seed in the AL playoff field and play a best-of-five Division Series with the Houston Astros, who have a big lead in the AL West and likely will be the second seed.

The best AL race has four teams vying for the two Wild Cards. Heading into the weekend, the Boston Red Sox have a two-game lead over the Yankees for the first Wild Card, while the Yankees are up one game on the Toronto Blue Jays and two on the Seattle Mariners for the second. The Yankees play the Red Sox in Boston this weekend.

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Over in the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals rallied from 5-0 deficit on Thursday to sweep a four-game series at Milwaukee to take command of the second Wild Card and delay the Brewers’ clinching the NL Central. The Cards have won 12 in a row, their longest streak since 1982 and two shy of the club record (14 in 1935).

The best division race is the NL West battle between the two teams with baseball’s best records, the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. LA gained a ground on Thursday, pulling to with a game back.

Here’s a look at magic numbers plus the remaining schedules for the contenders through Thursday, Sept. 23, along with playoff matchups if the postseason began on Friday:

AL EAST

TAMPA BAY RAYS (94-59)

Standings: First in AL East. Lead second-place Red Sox by 6 games.

Magic number to clinch AL East: 4.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: Clinched Sept. 22.

Games remaining: 9 (3 home, 6 road).

Rays schedule:

Sept. 24-26: Marlins (3)

Sept. 28-30: at Astros (3)

Oct. 1-3: at Yankees (3)

* * *

BOSTON RED SOX (88-65)

Standings: Second in AL East. Trail first-place Rays by 6 games. Lead Yankees by 2 games for first AL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 8.

Remaining games: 9 (3 home, 6 road).

Red Sox schedule:

Sept. 24-26: Yankees (3)

Sept. 28-30: at Orioles (3)

Oct. 1-3: at Nationals (3)

* * *

NEW YORK YANKEES (86-67)

Standings: Third in AL East. Trail first-place Rays by 8 games. Lead Blue Jays by 1 game for second AL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 9.

Remaining games: 9 (3 home, 6 road).

Yankees schedule:

Sept. 24-26: at Red Sox (3)

Sept. 28-30: at Blue Jays (3)

Oct. 1-3: Rays (3)

* * *

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (85-68)

Standings: Fourth in AL East. Trail first-place Rays by 8.5 games. Trail Yankees by 1 game for second AL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 11.

Remaining games: 9 (6 home, 3 road).

Blue Jays schedule:

Sept. 24-26: at Twins (3)

Sept. 28-30: Yankees (3)

Oct. 1-3: Orioles (3)

* * *

AL CENTRAL

CHICAGO WHITE SOX (86-67)

Standings: First in AL Central. Lead second-place Indians by 10.5 games.

Magic number to clinch AL Central: Clinched Sept. 23.

Remaining games: 9 (5 home, 4 road).

White Sox schedule:

Sept. 24-26: at Indians (3)

Sept. 27: at Tigers (1)

Sept. 28-29: Reds (2)

Oct. 1-3: Tigers (3)

* * *

AL WEST

HOUSTON ASTROS (91-62)

Standings: First in AL West. Lead second-place Mariners by 7 games.

Magic number to clinch AL West: 3.

Remaining games: 10 (6 home, 4 road).

Astros schedule:

Sept. 23: at Angels (1)

Sept. 24-26: at Athletics (3)

Sept. 28-30: Rays (3)

Oct. 1-3: Athletics (3)

* * *

SEATTLE MARINERS (84-69)

Standings: Second in AL West. Trail first-place Astros by 7 games. Trail Yankees by 2 games for second AL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 12.

Remaining games: 9 (6 home, 3 road).

Mariners schedule:

Sept. 24-26: at Angels (3)

Sept. 27-29: Athletics (3)

Oct. 1-3: Angels (3)

* * *

OAKLAND ATHLETICS (82-71)

Standings: Third in AL West. Trail first-place Astros by 9 games. Trail Yankees by 4 games for second AL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 14.

Remaining games: 9 (3 home, 6 road).

Athletics schedule:

Sept. 24-26: Astros (3)

Sept. 27-29: at Mariners (3)

Oct. 1-3: at Astros (3)

* * *

NL EAST

ATLANTA BRAVES (80-71)

Standings: First in NL East. Lead second-place Phillies by 2 games.

Magic number to clinch NL East: 9.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 9.

Remaining games: 11 (7 home, 4 road).

Braves schedule:

Sept. 24-26: at Padres (4)

Sept. 28-30: Phillies (3)

Oct. 1-3: Mets (3)

Oct. 4: Rockies (1), if necessary

* * *

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (79-74)

Standings: Second in NL East. Trail first-place Braves by 2 games. Trail Cardinals by 4.5 games for second NL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 13.

Remaining games: 9 (3 home, 6 road).

Phillies schedule:

Sept. 24-26: Pirates (3)

Sept. 28-30: at Braves (3)

Oct. 1-3: at Marlins (3)

* * *

NEW YORK METS (73-79)

Standings: Third in NL East. Trail first-place Braves by 7.5 games. Trail Cardinals by 10 games for second NL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 20.

Remaining games: 10 (4 home, 6 road).

Mets schedule:

Sept. 24-26: at Brewers (3)

Sept. 28-30: Marlins (4)

Oct. 1-3: at Braves (3)

* * *

NL CENTRAL

MILWAUKEE BREWERS (91-62)

Standings: First in NL Central. Lead second-place Cardinals by 7.5 games.

Magic number to clinch NL Central: 3.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: Clinched on Sept. 18.

Remaining games: 9 (3 home, 6 road).

Brewers schedule:

Sept. 24-26: Mets (3)

Sept. 28-30: at Cardinals (3)

Oct. 1-3: at Dodgers (3)

* * *

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (83-69)

Standings: Second in NL Central. Trail first-place Brewers by 7.5 games. Lead Reds and Phillies by 4.5 games for second NL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 6.

Remaining games: 11 (10 home, 4 road).

Cardinals schedule:

Sept. 24-26: at Cubs (4)

Sept. 28-30: Brewers (3)

Oct. 1-3: Cubs (3)

* * *

CINCINNATI REDS (78-74)

Standings: Third in NL Central. Trail first-place Brewers by 13 games; Trail Cardinals by 5.5 games for second NL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 16.

Remaining games: 9 (4 home, 5 road).

Reds schedule:

Sept. 24-26: Nationals (3)

Sept. 27: Pirates (1)

Sept. 28-29: at White Sox (2)

Oct. 1-3: at Pirates (3)

* * *

NL WEST

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (99-54)

Standings: First in NL West. Lead second-place Dodgers by 1 game.

Magic number to clinch NL West: 9.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: Clinched on Sept. 13.

Remaining games: 9 (6 home, 3 road).

Giants schedule:

Sept. 24-26: at Rockies (3)

Sept. 28-30: Diamondbacks (3)

Oct. 1-3: Padres (3)

* * *

LOS ANGELES DODGERS (98-55)

Standings: Second in NL West. Trail first-place Giants by 1 game. Lead Cardinals by 14.5 games for first NL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch NL West: 11.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: Clinched on Sept. 14.

Remaining games: 9 (6 home, 3 road).

Dodgers schedule:

Sept. 24-26: at Diamondbacks (3)

Sept. 28-30: Padres (3)

Oct. 1-3: Brewers (3)

* * *

SAN DIEGO PADRES (76-75)

Standings: Third in NL West. Trail first-place Giants by 22.5 games. Trail Cardinals by 6 games for second NL Wild Card.

Magic number to clinch playoffs: 18.

Remaining games: 11 (5 home, 6 road).

Padres schedule:

Sept. 23: Giants (1)

Sept. 24-26: Braves (4)

Sept. 28-30: at Dodgers (3)

Oct. 1-3: at Giants (3)

* * *

CURRENT POSTSEASON MATCHUPS

AL Wild Card Game: New York Yankees (5) at Boston Red Sox (4).

NL Wild Card Game: St. Louis Cardinals (5) at Los Angeles Dodgers (4).

AL DIVISION SERIES

Tampa Bay Rays (1) vs. Boston Red Sox (4) or New York Yankees (5).

Houston Astros (2) vs. Chicago White Sox (3).

NL DIVISION SERIES

San Francisco Giants (1) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (4) or St. Louis Cardinals (5).

Milwaukee Brewers (2) vs. Atlanta Braves (3).

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Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.

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