The calendar has officially hit September and despite being buried in NFL and college football content, it’s time to go back to the Diamond and cover the best stories from the major leagues. Most of our focus will be on the playoff races as things are tight just about across the board making for a lot of intrigue with only a handful of games left. Let’s dig in!
First Base
Crews special moment: One of the most charming stories of this summer has been the Washington Nationals, not because they’re good but because they have been scrappy and are showing signs of life in their rebuild. Young contributors like CJ Abrams, Luis Garcia, James Wood, and Keibert Ruiz all look like solid building blocks for the future. There are a lot more where that came from and one such player is Dylan Crews, who finally got the call last week and had an exciting week on the field and off it. Check out the moments above with his Triple A teammates and his mom, before he came up and made fresh memories at Nationals Park.
Second Base
“Cruel Summer” Becomes Pennant Race September: Start the counter folks, let’s see how many Taylor Swift references we can work into this segment. For context this is because the Cubs have been using a Taylor Swift candle in the clubhouse which has coincided with their surge into the wild card chase. There was a lot of “Bad Blood” on the North Side this summer as the Cubs failed to live up to expectations, putting them in playoff “Exile.” The once celebrated arrival of Craig Counsell gave way to him becoming the “Anti-Hero,” as Cubs fans know this kind of heartbreak “All Too Well.” But the front office saw a “Blank Space” at third base which Isaac Paredes filled and he has helped spark the club. Now they’re 9-1 in their last ten games, three games out of the playoffs and saying “You Belong With Me” to October baseball. (You’re welcome Bri)
Third Base
The Best Fans in Baseball Bail Out: For a long time, St. Louis Cardinals fans have been considered the best fans in all of baseball. Rightfully so, as they typically come out in massive numbers to watch their Redbirds much like Boston, New York, and Chicago, but with a little less anger and a little more honest love of their team. It’s in part because their city is devoid of another pro team aside from them and the Blues, but it’s mostly because they have always been treated to the Cards wonderful brand of baseball. But this season it seems they’re either a little fairer weather than we thought, or more likely, fed up with the direction of their club as another mediocre season is finishing up. The team is just a game over .500, falling out of the playoff race and attendance is plummeting like the numbers on the bloated roster. Eight of the lowest attendances in team history have taken place in August, with crowds as low as 13,000 being officially announced and the photos making that sound generous. With this atmosphere around the team and the product being so bad, get ready to see big changes in the front office and dugout in the gateway city.
Home Plate
AL Standings: Given that it’s September we have to talk pennant races, of which there are several across baseball, not just in the AL. The “junior circuit” season’s long race has been in the AL East where the Yankees and Orioles can’t seem to get out of their own or each other’s way, separated by just half a game entering the final month while both play .500 baseball and will meet in two weeks in the Bronx, which may decide the whole race. For a long time, the Central seemed like the Guardians to lose, but the Twins and Royals have closed to within 3.5 games of the lead and are hot on Cleveland’s heels. Out west the Astros have put their awful start behind them and have left the Mariners in the dust having opened up a six-game lead after trailing by ten at one point. The Wild Card could soon run out of drama as Red Sox, surging Tigers and fading Mariners are hanging on by a thread while trying to close the gap on the Minnesota and Kansas City, while the Orioles and or Yankees (depending on the day) seem home free. The last month in the AL should be a good time so buckle up for fun divisional race finishes.
Extra Inning
NL Standings: As for the “senior circuit,” we begin in the NL East where there isn’t a lot of drama at stake. The Phillies just took three out of four from the Braves, effectively ending Atlanta’s hopes of closing the gap in the division. Milwaukee is cruising to the finish line in the Central as the whole division has been left in the dust almost from the get-go. The Brewers are once again greater than the sum of their parts and should get manager Pat Murphy NL Manager of the Year votes. The race in the west has narrowed but the Dodgers are getting healthier and heating up, so they should hold off the D-Backs and Padres for the division crown. The real drama lies in the Wild Card picture where the Diamondbacks and Padres are deadlocked atop the standings having played excellent baseball over the last two months, making both near surefire bets to make the dance. Meanwhile the Braves are now squarely in a dogfight with the rival Mets who sit just one game behind them in the race after coming back from the dead. The Cubs are right there now as well and will look to stay hot when they come home to kick off the month against LA and the Yankees. The Braves and Mets play each other in the final week of the season in Atlanta, which could end up being for all the marbles. This should be a scintillating finish!
The Walkoff
A Very Good Boy: For our Walkoff let’s go out west to Dodger Stadium, where it was Shohei Ohtani gold bobblehead night earlier in the week. Shohei brought a special friend along to assist with the first pitch, his dog Decoy, who had some fun with the NL MVP in waiting on the field.
You can find Nick on Twitter @YNWA9623, Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our fall of podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. The store is live and Little Ed has been in the lab cooking up some can’t miss items for you fans. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon!
The Broadway Breakdown 
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