White Sox magic number and playoff tracker: How they can clinch their 1st postseason berth since 2008 with a win — and some help — tonight
The Chicago White Sox can do something tonight they haven’t accomplished since 2008: clinch a playoff berth.
If they defeat the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field (7:10 p.m., NBCSCH) and both the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners lose, the Sox will qualify for Major League Baseball’s expanded 16-team postseason field. The Tigers play host to the Kansas City Royals at 6:10 p.m., while the Mariners face the Giants at 8:45 p.m. in San Francisco.
In the meantime, the Sox are in a tight race for the American League Central title, although their back-to-back wins over the Twins on Monday and Tuesday extended their lead to three games. The Sox’s magic number to clinch the division stands at nine entering games Wednesday.
Here’s a look at the division race.
1. Chicago White Sox
Record: 32-16.
Magic number: 2 for a postseason berth, 9 for the division title.
Playoff probability (Fangraphs.com): 100% to make the playoffs, 81.9% to win the AL Central.
Tuesday: Beat the Twins 6-2.
Games remaining: 12 (5 home, 7 away).
Versus AL Central contenders: 6 (2 vs. Twins, 4 at Indians).
Versus .500-plus teams: 9.
Wednesday: vs. Twins, 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH.
Next five games:
Thursday: vs. Twins, 1:10 p.m., NBCSCH
Friday: at Reds, 6:10 p.m., NBCSCH
Saturday: at Reds, 6:07 p.m., FOX-32
Sunday: at Reds, 12:10 p.m., NBCSCH
Monday: at Indians, 5:10 p.m., NBCSCH
2. Minnesota Twins
Record: 30-20, 3 games back in the division, 3 games ahead of the Indians for the second-place playoff berth.
Playoff probability (Fangraphs.com): 100% to make the playoffs, 16.3% to win the AL Central.
Tuesday: Lost to the White Sox 6-2.
Games remaining: 10 (5 home, 5 away).
Versus AL Central contenders: 2 (2 at White Sox).
Versus .500-plus teams: 5.
Wednesday: at White Sox, 7:10 p.m.
Next five games:
Thursday: at White Sox, 1:10 p.m.
Friday: at Cubs, 7:15 p.m.
Saturday: at Cubs, 7:15 p.m.
Sunday: at Cubs, 6:08 p.m.
Tuesday: vs. Tigers, 6:40 p.m.
Record: 26-22, 6 games back in the division, 3 games behind the Twins for the second-place playoff spot, 4 games ahead of the Mariners for a wild-card berth.
Playoff probability (Fangraphs.com) : 98% to make the playoffs, 1.8% to win the AL Central.
Tuesday: Lost to the Cubs 6-5.
Games remaining: 12 (7 home, 5 away).
Versus AL Central contenders: 4 (4 vs. White Sox).
Versus .500-plus teams: 5.
Wednesday: at Cubs, 7:15 p.m.
Next five games:
Thursday: at Tigers, 6:10 p.m.
Friday: at Tigers, 6:10 p.m.
Saturday: at Tigers, 5:10 p.m.
Sunday: at Tigers, 12:10 p.m.
Monday: vs. White Sox, 5:10 p.m.
Potential American League playoff matchups
If the season ended today, here’s a look at the AL playoff field entering play Wednesday. First-round matchups are best-of-three series beginning Sept. 29, and the higher seed is the home team for all three games. Division winners get the top three seeds, second-place finishers the Nos. 4-6 seeds and the two teams with the next-best records earn wild-card spots and the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds.
No. 1 White Sox vs. No. 8 Indians
No. 2 Rays vs. No. 7 Blue Jays
No. 3 Athletics vs. No. 6 Astros
No. 4 Twins vs. No. 5 Yankees
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