Major League Baseball

Postseason Scenarios

Published Oct. 3, 2012 7:31 a.m. ET

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Baseball's postseason scenarios with one day left in the regular season:

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All five American League playoff teams have been decided. New York, Baltimore, Detroit, Texas and Oakland are in. The Tigers have won the AL Central, but the other two division titles are still up for grabs.

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All five National League playoff spots have been claimed, and all three division races are over. Washington (NL East), Cincinnati (NL Central) and San Francisco (NL West) are the division champions. Atlanta will host St. Louis in the wild-card game Friday.

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AL EAST

Raul Ibanez rallied the Yankees past Boston 4-3 in 12 innings Tuesday night to maintain New York's one-game lead over the Orioles, who won 1-0 at Tampa Bay. If the Yankees lose Wednesday night and the Orioles win, they would play a tiebreaker for the division crown Thursday in Baltimore. The loser would then play in the wild-card game Friday against the loser of Wednesday's regular-season finale between Oakland and Texas.

AL CENTRAL

Detroit has won its second straight division crown and will open the postseason at home Saturday.

AL WEST

The Rangers and Athletics are tied for first place going into their one-game showdown for the division title Wednesday afternoon in Oakland. The loser settles for a wild card.

NL EAST

Division champion Washington can earn home-field advantage throughout the postseason with a victory Wednesday over Philadelphia or a Cincinnati loss in St. Louis.

NL CENTRAL

St. Louis, the defending World Series champion, lost to Cincinnati 3-1 but clinched the second NL wild card - baseball's final playoff berth - when the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to San Francisco 4-3 hours later.

The division champion Reds need a win Wednesday and a Washington loss to get home-field advantage throughout the postseason because the Nationals won the season series.

NL WEST

San Francisco already clinched the division title and will open the playoffs at home Saturday against Cincinnati or Washington, whichever team does not get the top seed in the National League.

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