Almost every team in the MLB has around 10-15 games remaining, and the wild card races have trimmed some of the ‘ fat ‘ that they were lugging heading into late August. Teams like the Diamondbacks, Giants, and Phillies have fallen out of playoff contention after hanging around the top of NL Wild Card. For both wild card races, it seems to be a three team race. For the AL, the Indians, Rays, and Athletics have had a chokehold on the top 3 since early August. After a lot of different teams trying their hand at the second NL wild-card spot, well it seems to between the Brewers, Cubs, and Nationals for the coveted two spots in the Wild Card game. However, nothing is set in stone for the NL yet, as there has been a lot of streaky baseball with the contending teams.

So for this week’s MLB roundup, I will be not only giving some thoughts and breakdowns as we head into the final days of the season, but will be sharing some songs from all genres and eras that best describe what has happened this past week in baseball.

New York Mets

I Want A New Drug by Huey Lewis & The News

Huey Lewis-Topic I Want A New Drug

Call it what you want Mets fans, but the ups and downs that you have experienced this year has been almost a drug for you all. I mean going from winning 14 out of 15 at the end of July heading into August and then blowing a 6 run lead in the 9th against the Nationals in what was a crucial game at the time. Then take a look at last week, the Mets swept the Diamondbacks, who at the time were a prime contender for the NL Wild Card. After the sweep, they had to play a Dodgers team, and would have to at least take 2 out of 3 against them. After splitting the first two, the Mets blew a 2-0 lead on Sunday Night Baseball and lost 3-2, losing the series and putting them 4 games back.

I would not rule anything out for the Mets yet because the season has had the highest of highs and then the lowest of lows, but prepare yourselves to get a new drug for the fall Mets fans as your playoff chances are not looking promising. Whether the new drug is the New York Giants, the New York Jets, that’s up to you, but it could be time to give up on the drug that has been rooting for the New York Mets this season.

Mike Fiers

One of the more interesting looks of the year, Mike Fiers was dared to shave his beard into a G-Shape. Photo Credits to Athleticsnation.com

Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) by The Offspring

TheOffspringVEVO – Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)

I personally loved Mike Fiers’s beard. In a season that is nothing short of a grind, you have to add in a little fun, and the A’s being in such a tight AL Wild Card race with two other teams, it can get a little tight in the dugout and the pressure can outweigh the fun. But, in comes veteran right-hander Mike Fiers to start on Saturday with some of the wildest facial hair anyone has ever seen. Now it is very funny and sure it was a dare, but little stunts like that can keep a dugout loose and having fun as the season comes to a close with a tight race for a spot in the postseason.

Christian Yelich and Mike Trout

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

SnowPatrolVEVO – Chasing Cars

On a somber note here, two of the MLB’s brightest stars are missing the remainder of the season, albeit there aren’t many games left, but we will be missing two key pieces to what has been an entertaining home run race. Using a song that symbolizes a death in the popular TV drama Grey’s Anatomy, it could very well symbolize the death of Yelich’s hopes for a triple crown and the death of what could of been a fun ending to one of the best home run races since the days of Sosa, McGwire, and Bonds.

Dallas Keuchel

Smooth Operator by Sade

SadeVEVO – Smooth Operator

Never once did I expect to use Sade’s jazzy tune to talk about Dallas Keuchel. I’m sure you were not expecting to hear the sweet sound of the 1984 smooth R&B when talking about the southpaw either. But here we all are. Keuchel has been doing his best smooth operator impression. 3-0 with an ERA of 1.50 over his last 3 starts, Keuchel has been proving himself to be the ace he was when he won the Cy Young back in 2015.

To the fans of the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles and the Miami Marlins

Shake it Off by Taylor Swift

TaylorSwiftVEVO – Shake It Off

The 4 worst teams in baseball this year, all you can do is just listen to ‘Tay Tay’ and shake it off and look onto next year.

To the fans of the Toronto Blue Jays

The Best is Yet to Come by Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra – The Best is Yet to Come (2008 Remastered)

This year might not of been the record you were looking for Toronto. The Blue Jays are currently sitting at 59-91 before they start their series against Baltimore on Tuesday. So the record does not look great, but the future looks bright. With Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, and Cavan Biggio, the Blue Jays’ future is best said by none other than Frank Sinatra. The Best is Yet to Come for the Baby Blue Jays.

The Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, and more than likely the New York Mets

Heartache Tonight by Eagles

Eagles- Topic – Heartache Tonight

All teams tried their damnedest to sneak into the wild card, but more than likely these 4 teams are not going to be seeing October baseball. And for the fans, well I’m sorry, but there will be a heartache tonight for all of you.

Eugenio Suarez

You Dropped a Bomb on Me by The Gap Band

TheGapBandVEVO – You Dropped A Bomb On Me

As I said previously, Christian Yelich and Mike Trout fell out of the home run race, both due to injury. But when two drop out, a new contender emerges. I mentioned the ‘Stud’ in last week’s roundup, but it is hard to keep him out of this weeks as he hit his 46th and 47th home run on sunday night. His two home run effort catapulted him into a tie for the MLB leader in home runs. Suarez continues to hit home runs, leaving pitchers humming the famous 70s funk song.

Ronald Acuña Jr.

The Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga

GagaTube GagaTube – Lady Gaga – The Edge of Glory (Audio)

Another guy I mentioned in last week’s MLB Roundup, Acuña has a very good chance of becoming one of the select few MLB players in MLB history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases. Currently he sits at 39 home runs and 36 stolen bases with 11 games remaining. So as we currently sit, Acuña is sitting on the edge of some unprecedented territory. Dare I say he is sitting on the edge of glory.

Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers

Two Tickets to Paradise by Eddie Money

Eddie Money- Topic – Two Tickets to Paradise

As of Monday, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves are the only teams that have booked their tickets to paradise that is the MLB Postseason. The presumed top two teams in the NL are the first teams to clinch, and I’m hoping to see a matchup between the two star-studded teams in the NLCS.

Austin Meadows

Good Times Roll by the Cars

TheCarsOfficial- Good Times Roll

The young outfielder for Tampa has had a very under the radar season for a Rays team that is a top of the AL Wild Card. He is hitting .289 with 31 HR and 87 RBIs, partly due to the hot stretch he has been over his last 7 games. Over his last 7, Meadows has hit .321 with 4 home runs and 10 RBIs. So Meadows has been carrying a hot bat and letting the Good Times Roll with a contending Rays team.

I want to get away from baseball talk before I get into the match-ups every baseball fan should be looking at with less than 20 games left. Using the music theme and including Eddie Money and the Cars was no coincidence. It was a sad week in music as Eddie Money died on Friday night and Ric Ocasek, the lead singer of the cars, died on Sunday night. Now I did not grow up in the times of Eddie Money and the Cars, but I do recognize good music when I hear it. And growing up listening to both on CD riding in the car with my parents really put me on to some of the more classic music that you see I reference in some of my pieces. So RIP to Eddie Money and RIP to Ric Ocasek.

MLB Match-Ups to Look Out For

Nationals vs. Cardinals

The Cardinals currently sit atop the NL Central by 2 games. The Nationals are currently the top team in the NL Wild Card ahead of the Cubs by 1.5 games. Neither team can afford a sweep. Now, this is fun fall baseball that all MLB fans look forward to.

Phillies vs. Braves

I said Phillies fans should be feeling the heartache because they most likely are out of the playoff contention. However, with some luck and good play against the Braves, the Phillies could find themselves near the top going into their final few games of play. Oh yeah, and 40-40 could be a possibility for a certain Braves outfielder.

Rays vs. Dodgers

The Indians will be watching this series with a very close eye. As they get to be the beneficiary of a weak series against the Tigers. Heading into monday night, the Rays are currently up 1.5 games on the Indians, but will need to take care of business on the road against LA to maintain their grip on the second wild card spot.

Cardinals vs. Cubs

If the rivalry isn’t enough, the playoff implications will be. Coming into Monday, the Cubs are currently 2 games back in the NL Central and are in the second spot of the NL Wild Card. But the team that could benefit most from this series is not playing in this set. The team that could benefit most is actually the Brewers. Sitting 3 games back in the NL Central and 1 game back from the 2nd Wild Card spot, the Brewers are at home against the Padres and Pirates. So a soft schedule for the Brew Crew this week could bode well, because the Cardinals are playing two playoff teams between the Cubs and the Cardinals and Milwaukee could gain ground in a tight NL playoff hunt.

Red Sox vs. Rays

Not a great week in matchups for Tampa as they have to play the two teams that were in the World Series last year. Only 1.5 games up on the Indians, the Rays will have to take care of business against above average teams for most of the remainder of the season.

Phillies Vs. Indians

After a series at home against the Tigers, the Indians get a Phillies team that still could be playing for a playoff spot. So as difficult of a schedule it is for the Rays, the Indians do have to take care of business against a bad Detroit team, and will have to win in Cleveland against a talented Phillies team. The A’s however, get the Royals and Rangers at home, so a relatively soft schedule for Oakland. So assuming the A’s win both series as they should, the Indians and Rays will be in a race to see who the second AL Wild Card spot is.

That concludes this week’s roundup. Football is back in full swing with NFL and College Football playing 5 out of the 7 days of the week. But let’s not forget about what has been a tumultous MLB ride that was August and the first few weeks of September. So tune in to the final days of the season, and while were speaking of tuning in, hopefully you enjoyed the music choice in this week’s roundup.

Featured Image. MLB.com | The Official Site of Major League Baseball. Photo Credits to MLB.com