MLB Update

Although most of the HP's focus these days is on the Olympics, we are still keeping track of baseball. Our beloved Nationals had another good month, and they remain on pace to make the playoffs if they can hold off the red-hot Braves. And I'm wondering if there's some sort of psychic connection between the Reds, the Pirates, and the A's. They all made the playoffs in 1972; they all made the playoffs in 1990; and they are all doing surprisingly well this season. The Reds are really hot -- they've gone 23-7 since the last time we checked the standings.

Here are the standings by league. The percentage next to each team is that team's estimated chance of making the playoffs, according to coolstandings.com. Teams with less than a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs are in italics. In the National League, we have eight teams fighting for five slots. In the American League, the Yankees, Rangers, and White Sox are in good shape, but there will be quite a scramble for the other two slots:

NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Cincinnati (93.6 %): 66-42 ---
2. Washington (91.1 %): 65-43 1
3. Atlanta (76.3 %): 62-46 4
4. Pittsburgh (72.5 %): 61-46 4 1/2
5. San Francisco (48.0 %): 59-49 7
6. St. Louis (54.4 %): 58-49 7 1/2
7. Los Angeles (36.3 %): 58-50 8
8. Arizona (25.3 %): 55-53 11
9. New York (2.3 %): 53-56 13 1/2
10. Philadelphia (0.1 %): 49-59 17
11. Milwaukee (0.2 %): 48-58 17
12. Miami (<0.1 %): 49-60 17 1/2
13. San Diego (<0.1 %): 46-64 21
14. Chicago (<0.1 %): 43-62 21 1/2
15. Colorado (<0.1 %): 38-68 27
16. Houston (0.0 %): 36-73 30 1/2

AMERICAN LEAGUE
T1. New York (94.2 %): 63-44 ---
T1. Texas (92.6 %): 63-44 ---
3. Chicago (81.8 %): 59-48 4
T4. Detroit (58.5 %): 58-50 5 1/2
T4. Oakland (53.4 %): 58-50 5 1/2
6. Los Angeles (53.7 %): 58-51 6
7. Baltimore (10.4 %): 57-51 6 1/2
8. Tampa Bay (26.3 %): 56-52 7 1/2
9. Boston (15.7 %): 54-55 10
10. Toronto (9.2 %): 53-55 10 1/2
11. Seattle (3.2 %): 51-59 13 1/2
12. Cleveland (0.6 %): 50-58 13 1/2
13. Minnesota (0.2 %): 47-61 16 1/2
14. Kansas City (0.1 %): 45-62 18