I work at a SuperTarget down the street, and, every day, every employee who comes into work has to punch in. Everyone has a significant employee number, and they have to signal when they start work.
It's 10:09 in the evening, and three baseball teams have just punched the clock into the playoffs, by virtue of playing better baseball than at least four other teams, each.
Just minutes ago, Cincinnati Reds right fielder Jay Bruce swatted his 22nd home run of the season, sending the ball into the bleachers of Great American Ballpark, breaking (and ending) a 2-2 tie between the Reds and the Astros. That win sends them to the postseason for the first time since 1995.
The AL East title has yet to find a home, as has the AL Wild Card ticket, but, for weeks, it has appeared that both will belong to either of two particular teams, and now it is guaranteed. C.C. Sabathia earned his 21st win by leading his Yankees to a sound 6-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays to clinch a spot in the postseason, and the Tampa Bay Rays, behind the scorching left arm of young ace David Price (who won his 19th), defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-0, to clinch their second-ever postseason berth, and second in the last three years.
Remember: the AL East and Wild Card are not yet decided. The Rays lead the Yankees by half a game in the standings.
Meanwhile, the last two postseason spots are in the National League. The Atlanta Braves kept their Wild Card lead (and attempt to get retiring manager Bobby Cox one last look at the postseason) alive with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Marlins, thanks primarily to a two-run homer by much-traveled Eric Hinske, who hit his bomb with the Braves trailing by a run in the seventh.
Then, in a pair of games just getting underway, the San Diego Padres host the Chicago Cubs, and the San Francisco Giants host the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants currently lead the NL West by a game over the Pads, and the Padres have a similar one-game deficit in the Wild Card standings, to the Braves.
It's getting exciting...
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