Nothing to play for? Rays and Rockies could be spoilers
— -- In 2007, the New York Mets held a seven-game lead over the Phillies with just 17 games remaining on their schedule. The Phillies swept them at home to cut into the lead, but the Mets still seemed relatively safe. Of their 14 remaining games, six would come against the Nationals, who would finish that season 73-89. The Nationals beat the Mets two out of three in Washington. The final week kicked off with the Mets still leading the Phillies by 2.5. They hosted the Nationals for three games. The Nationals, who finished last in the NL in runs scored that season, won 13-4, 10-9 and 9-6, humiliating Mets pitching. Four days later, the Mets had lost the NL East title, losing two of three to the 71-91 Marlins.
We remember the Mets' collapse. We don't remember the spoilers. For teams just playing out the string there are still reasons to remain motivated in these final weeks: Players may be playing for a new contract or a bigger raise; young guys are trying to impress for 2017; and it's a lot more fun to beat a contender than get your butt stomped on like it has all year.
Here are some potential spoilers to pay attention to:
Colorado Rockies: The Rockies have series remaining against the Cardinals, Dodgers and Giants, so they can influence both the NL West race and the wild-card race. They've played the Dodgers and Giants tough so far, going 7-8 against L.A. and 8-8 against San Francisco and have actually outscored both teams in their head-to-head matchups. Both of these series are on the road, and while the Rockies' offense isn't as powerful away from Coors, their pitching also swings dramatically in the other direction. Check out runs per game allowed on the road:
1. Nationals: 3.72
2. Cubs: 3.83
3. Giants: 4.00
4. Mets: 4.01
5. Cardinals: 4.3
6. Rockies: 4.33
Tyler Chatwood has a 1.77 ERA on the road, so keep an eye on his matchups. The Rockies also have players chasing individual titles with Nolan Arenado tied for the NL home run lead with Kris Bryant and DJ LeMahieu?one point behind Daniel Murphy for the batting crown, so don't expect the regulars to sit much. With a 69-74 record, Walt Weiss would love to guide his team to a .500 finish.
Tampa Bay Rays: The Rays have already influenced the AL East to one extent -- they're 9-7 against Toronto but 4-11 against Boston. They have one series each remaining against the other four playoff contenders. The rotation has been a bit of a disappointment this year, but Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly and rookie Blake Snell are all capable of lights-out starts. Archer and Smyly both rank in the top 10 in number of 10-plus strikeout games (Archer has six, Smyly has four). As a bonus, Alex Cobb is back after missing all of last season and most of this one after Tommy John surgery. He'll make his third start on Wednesday against the Blue Jays.
Minnesota Twins: The Twins seem to be getting worse, even with Brian Dozier's home run heroics. They've won two games in a row just once in the past month and have single-handedly kept the Tigers and Royals in the wild-card race, going a combined 5-23 against those two teams. Good news for the Tigers! They still have two series left against the Twins, including the current four-game series in Detroit. The Twins have one more series against the Royals, plus series against the Mets and Royals. A guy to watch is Jose Berrios, proclaimed as the club's future ace, but his recall from the minors hasn't gone well and he's now 2-6 with a 9.27 ERA in 11 starts. Twins fans may be reminded of Sean Bergman, who made 14 starts in 2000 and posted a 9.66 ERA.
Philadelphia Phillies: The Mets' playoff odds are high right now due to the weakness of their remaining schedule. After their current series against the Nationals, they don't play another team with a winning record. The one team they play twice is the Phillies, including a season-ending showdown in Philly. The Mets lead the season series 7-5, but have outscored the Phillies 63-33. Yoenis Cespedes has killed Philly pitching the past two seasons with nine home runs in 18 games. The Philadelphia offense has also gone in the tank in September, averaging just 3.1 runs per game, and the rotation includes two late-season call-ups and a struggling Adam Morgan. It seems ripe for the Mets to take advantage of, but you never know where spoilers will come from.
San Diego Padres: They have two series remaining against the Giants -- one that started with a win Monday -- and one against the Dodgers. They haven't played well against either team, going 4-9 against the Giants and 6-10 against the Dodgers. The Padres are just trying to get through the season with the likes of veteran retreads Clayton Richard (who starts Tuesday against the Giants) and Edwin Jackson in the rotation.