MLB playoff primer: Will Braves pay price for fracas? (USA News)

USA News __There's four days left in Major League Baseball's regular season. The latest playoff snapshot after Wednesday's games:
American League
Who's in: Boston (East winner), Oakland (West winner), Detroit (Central winner)
If the playoffs started today: Wild card game – Cleveland at Tampa Bay
Division Series
Wild card winner at Boston
Detroit at Oakland
Pressure Points

• With the wild-card race officially down to three teams for two spots (the Yankees and Royals were eliminated with losses Wednesday), the Texas Rangers just need somebody to lose. The Rangers trail Cleveland by one game and Tampa Bay by two and those two teams have the longest current winning streaks in the majors at six games.
• The last time the Red Sox finished the season in Baltimore, it was the stunning end to the 2011 season that left Boston out of the playoffs and cost current Indians manager Terry Francona his job. This year, two wins in the three-game series that begins Friday guarantees Boston home advantage all the way through the World Series.
• Oakland's one-game lead over Detroit for second-best record – and home advantage is their likely Division Series – is really two games because the Athletics have the tie-breaker by winning the season series 4-3.

Today

• Cleveland begins a four-game series in Minnesota, where it has split six games this season. A split this weekend would all but guarantee the Indians couldn't host next Wednesday's wild-card game and jeopardize their chances of even getting there.
• Texas' 17-2 record against Houston this season is the best head-to-head dominance in the majors this year (Cleveland had the same record against the White Sox), but the Rangers' second-favorite opponent is just as important. They're 11-4 against the Angels, who start the final four-game series in Texas tonight.
• Tampa Bay's magic number for a playoff berth is three entering the finale of a four-game series against the Yankees in New York. They'll finish the season with three games at last-place Toronto.

National League
Who's in: Atlanta (East winner); Los Angeles (West winner); St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are 1-2-3 in Central with final positions to be determined, but all have playoff spots clinched.
If the playoffs started today: Wild card game – Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Division Series
Wild card winner at St. Louis
Los Angeles at Atlanta
Pressure Points
Any potential suspensions resulting from Atlanta's scuffle Wednesday with Milwaukee would not affect the playoffs. First baseman Freddie Freeman was ejected for what the umpires described as being overly aggressive after the benches cleared in the wake of Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez's lengthy and vocal home run trot.
Catcher Brian McCann stayed in the game but helped precipitate the confrontation by blocking Gomez from getting to home plate, and outfielder Reed Johnson took a shot at Gomez in the fracas.

PHOTOS: Nose-to-nose in Atlanta

Today

Atlanta, knocked out of the best record in the alliance by a misfortune Wednesday to Milwaukee, can move go into a tie with unmoving St. Louis by winning at home against Philadelphia in the first round of a season-finish four-diversion arrangement. The Braves hold the straight on sudden death round in the event that they and the Cardinals fulfill with indistinguishable records.

The Dodgers are the main other playoff-bound NL group playing this evening, finalizing an arrangement in San Francisco. A misfortune Wednesday left Los Angeles requiring no less than three wins in their last four diversions (their last three are at home against Colorado) to have a shot worst case scenario record and to abstain from opening the Division Series out and about.

Display: Baseball's postseason festivals