With only 41 games remaining in the regular season and with their inability to win on the road, the Dodgers chances of landing a playoff spot is in jeopardy. Although the Dodgers still hold a precarious 1.5-game lead over their division-rival Giants, it is becoming very apparent that the only way for them to make the playoffs is by winning the division outright.

How so, you ask?

Because as it stands right now, neither National League Wild Card team will be coming out of the West.

After being no-hit by Astros right-hander Mike Fiers on Friday night, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly described it as: “Kind of like icing on the bad part of the cake.” That sounds like something that the great Yogi Berra might say.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

When play resumes on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Pirates of the NL Central Division occupy the first NL Wild Card slot with their 72-48 (.600) record. They are followed by the Chicago Cubs – also out of the NL Central – in the second NL Wild Card slot with a record of 69-51 (.575). And with the mighty St.Louis Cardinals leading the NL Central with the somewhat comfortable 77-43 (.642) record and 5.0-game lead over the Pirates and 8.0-game lead over the Cubs, it appears more and more likely each day that both NL Wild Card teams will come out of the NL Central.

Currently sitting in third place in the NL Wild Card standings are none other than those same San Francisco Giants with their 66-56 (.541) record. In addition to trailing the Dodgers by 1.5 games in the NL West standings, they currently trail the Pirates by 4.0 games and the Cubs by one game in the NL Wild Card standings. But even if the Giants over take the Dodgers in the NL West – and it’s looking like this may happen sooner rather than later with the Dodgers 0-3 on their current eight-game road trip – they would take over the Giants number three spot in the NL Wild Card standings but will be farther behind both the Pirates and Cubs than the Giants are currently sitting.

Now granted, a lot can happen in 41 games and the Dodgers could go on a winning streak, but considering that they have scored a total of six run on only nine hits in their last three games (not to mention their continuing bullpen issues), things are definitely not looking too good for Mattingly’s boys.

But in the immortal words of the great Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

Speaking of Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
(Video capture courtesy of Aflac)

…and it definitely ain’t over – not yet, that is.