Updated Result and Standings as the MLB Playoff Race Continues

The MLB is gearing up for yet another exciting end to the regular season, as Cinderella teams are sprinkled in with some World Series favorites in many tight races for playoff spots. While we may not get the type of regular-season finale that we were blessed with last year, there are still plenty of intriguing storylines and teams right on the cusp of playoff berths. 

With one more playoff spot up for grabs in each league this year for the first time ever, the madness is certainly not going to end when the regular season comes to a close.

Let's take a look at Tuesday's games that have major playoff implications.

American League

Boston Red Sox 7, Tampa Bay Rays 5 - F

Coming off two straight losses to the AL East-leading Yankees, the Rays may have thought they were facing a slumping Red Sox team at the perfect time. It's turned out to be the opposite effect, as the Sox have taken two straight games in Tampa to push the Rays' chances of making the playoffs even further from reality.

The Rays are now in fifth place in the Wild Card after a 7-5 loss at home to the Red Sox.

Tampa jumped out to a 3-0 lead early in the third, but four straight scoring innings for Boston helped it pull out to a lead that the Rays couldn't battle back from. 

Errors played a part in their loss. The Rays committed three in the game, including a throwing error that led to the final go-ahead run for Boston.

Red Sox: 68-81 (Last place in AL East, eighth in Wild Card)

Rays: 78-70 (Third place in AL East, fifth in Wild Card)

Detroit Tigers 12, Oakland Athletics 2 - F

The Oakland A's kept things interesting during the early going, but couldn't silence the Tigers' bats, as Detroit pulled out a big-time home victory.

The scorching-hot Athletics got off to a good start and took the lead off a Brandon Moss single, but they wouldn't lead for long, as the Tigers notched a run in each of the first three innings. 

Five combined runs in the fifth and sixth innings and a four-run eighth inning put it away for the Tigers, who couldn't pull any closer to the White Sox after their victory over Kansas City. 

A's: 84-63 (second in AL West, first in Wild Card)

Tigers: 78-69 (second in AL Central, fifth in Wild Card)

Chicago White Sox 3, Kansas City Royals 2 - F

The White Sox needed to win Tuesday to keep their distance from the Tigers, whose bats came alive against the streaky A's and hung up 12 runs.

They did just that in a closely-contested battle with the Royals. 

Kansas City led early after scoring two runs to Chicago's one run in the first inning, forcing the White Sox to trail for much of the game. But Gordon Beckham tied the game up for Chicago in the sixth inning with a solo shot, which was followed by an Alex Rios homer that gave the White Sox the lead for good. 

White Sox: 81-66 (first in AL Central)

Royals: 66-81 (third in AL Central, ninth in Wild Card)

Texas Rangers 3, Los Angeles Angels 11 - F

 Eight different Angels players had a RBI and Rangers ace Ryan Dempster gave up five earned runs as Los Angeles took care of Texas at home Tuesday night by the score of 11-3.

The Angels had an eight-run fourth inning, with the exclamation point being the two-run single by catcher Chris Iannetta that started a run of Angels scores.

The Rangers are still in firm control of the first spot in the whole American League, but a pitching lapse Tuesday is a cause for concern down the stretch.

Rangers: 87-60 (first in AL West)

Angels: 81-67 (third in AL West, third in wild card)

Baltimore Orioles 4, Seattle Mariners 2 - F

In a grueling, 18-inning game that featured more than 16 total pitchers, the Baltimore Orioles came from behind to get a huge win, 4-2 over the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners were just three outs away from victory in the ninth inning before the O's knocked in two runs to tie the game. The players didn't know it at the time, but the game was just halfway over at that point.

With the win, Baltimore is now tied with the Yankees at the top of the AL East. 

Orioles: 84-64 (T-1st in AL East, T-first in wild card)

Mariners: 70-79 (last in AL West, sixth in wild card)

Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees: Postponed

Tuesday night's game between the Yankees and Blue Jays has been postponed. They'll play a double-header on Wednesday.

Yankees: 83-63 (first in AL East)

Blue Jays: 66-79 (fourth in AL East, seventh in wild card)

National League

Miami Marlins 4, Atlanta Braves 3: F/10

The Braves had a major chance to pick up a game against one of the MLB's worst teams, but they squandered it when Jose Reyes hit a walk-off single for the Marlins, who won 4-3 in a 10-inning spectacle.

Atlanta pulled a noble comeback to even give itself a chance. Being down 3-0 heading into the ninth inning, the Braves pulled off three straight runs to send it into extra innings thanks to an RBI single by Dan Uggla and a double by Brian McCann that scored Uggla and Chipper Jones.

It was enough to get out of the early hole, but not enough to come out with a much-needed win. The Marlins' bats came alive in the 10th inning to come away with the W.

Braves: 85-64 (second in NL East, T-first in wild card)

Marlins: 65-83 (last in NL East, 10th in wild card)

Cincinnati Reds 3, Chicago Cubs 1 - F

The Cincinnati Reds are just one of a few teams who don't feel the pressure of winning due to their massive division lead, but that didn't stop them from taking care of the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday by the score of 3-2.

Neither team scored until a three-run sixth inning by the Reds that Chicago could never rally back from. 

Homer Bailey picked up his 12th win of the season for the Reds, who seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect time and are undoubtedly one of the favorites to come out of the National League.

Reds: 89-59 (first in NL Central)

Cubs: 58-90 (fifth in NL Central, 12th in wild card)

St. Louis Cardinals 4, Houston Astros 1 - F

The Cardinals put a stop to their most recent bleeding with a win over a bottom-tier MLB team Tuesday night with a 4-1 victory at home over the Houston Astros.

St. Louis held Houston scoreless until the eighth inning and was never seriously contested by the hapless Astros, who became the first team in the MLB to reach 100 losses. 

Cardinals ace Kyle Lohse picked up his 15th win of the season.

Astros: 48-100 (last in NL Central, last in wild card)

Cardinals: 78-70 (second in NL Central, T-first in wild card)

Colorado Rockies 3, San Francisco Giants 6 - F

Giants ace Tim Lincecum may not be having the type of year that warrants much praise, but he had a praise-worthy performance Tuesday night in a 6-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.

In a 6.1-inning outing, Lincecum let up just five hits with no earned runs to extend their lead in the NL West.

Xavier Nady went 2-for-3 and knocked in two runs to hold off the Rockies in a bout between the best and worst teams in the division. 

Giants: 85-63 (first in NL West)

Rockies: 58-89 (last in NL West, 11th in wild card)

Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals: Postponed

Tuesday night's game between the Dodgers and Nationals has been postponed. They'll play a double-header on Wednesday.

Dodgers: 76-71 (second in NL West, third in wild card)

Nationals: 89-57 (first in NL East)

On Deck for Wednesday

Toronto at NY Yankees, 1:05 p.m. ET

LA Dodgers at Washington, 4:05 p.m. ET

Oakland at Detroit, 7 p.m. ET

Toronto at NY Yankees, 7:05 p.m. ET

LA Dodgers at Washington, 7:05 p.m. ET

Atlanta at Miami, 7:10 p.m. ET

Boston at Tampa Bay, 7:10 p.m. ET

Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 p.m. ET

Chicago White Sox at Kansas City, 8:10 p.m. ET

Houston at St. Louis, 8:15 p.m. ET

Texas at LA Angels, 10 p.m. ET

Baltimore at Seattle, 10:10 p.m. ET

Colorado at San Francisco, 10:15 p.m. ET

American League Standings

AL East	W	L	PCT	GB
NY Yankees	83	63	.568	-
Baltimore	84	64	.568	-
Tampa Bay	78	70	.527	5.5

AL Central	W	L	PCT	GB
Chicago W. Sox	81	66	.551	-
Detroit	78	69	.527	3
Kansas City	66	81	.449	14

AL West	W	L	PCT	GB
Texas	87	60	.592	-
Oakland	84	63	.571	3
L.A. Angels	81	67	.547	6.5

AL Wild Card	W	L	PCT	GB
Oakland	84	63	.571	-
Baltimore	84	64	.568	-
LA Angels	81	67	.547	2.5
Detroit	78	69	.531	5
Tampa Bay	78	70	.527	5.5
Seattle	70	79	.473	13.5

National League Standings

NL East	W	L	PCT	GB
Washington	89	57	.610	-
Atlanta	85	64	.570	5.5
Philadelphia	74	74	.500	16

NL Central	W	L	PCT	GB
Cincinnati	89	59	.601	-
St. Louis	78	70	.527	11
Milwaukee	75	72	.510	13.5
Pittsburgh	74	73	.503	14.5

NL West	W	L	PCT	GB
San Francisco	85	63	.574	-
L.A. Dodgers	76	71	.517	8
Arizona	72	74	.493	11.5

NL Wild Card	W	L	PCT	GB
Atlanta	85	64	.570	-
St. Louis	78	70	.527	-
L.A. Dodgers	76	71	.517	1
Milwaukee	74	72	.507	2.5
Pittsburgh	74	72	.507	2.5
Philadelphia	74	74	.500	3.5
Arizona	72	74	.493	4.5
San Diego	71	76	.483	6