NL Playoff Picture 2018: Latest Wild-Card Scenarios Before Final Games

The Chicago Cubs opened the door for the Milwaukee Brewers when they dropped a 2-1 decision to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday afternoon, and the Brewers ran through that opening at full speed later that night.

Milwaukee registered a 6-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers, and the two National League Central rivals are tied for first place heading into the final game of the season. Christian Yelich, who has vaulted into the role of MVP favorite for his performance during the homestretch, belted two home runs to key the victory.

His second home run came in the bottom of the seventh inning and broke a 5-5 tie. Brewers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress struck out the side in the ninth inning and picked up his 15th save, and the Brewers have won six games in a row.

If both the Cubs (94-67) and Brewers (94-67) both win or both lose Sunday, they will meet in a one-game tiebreaker at Wrigley Field on Monday to decide the NL Central title. The loser of that game will go to the playoffs as a wild-card team.

However, if the two teams have opposing results Sunday, the winner will earn the NL Central crown.

Here's a look at the standings heading into the last game of the season.

The Cardinals (88-73), who showed toughness and determination in beating the Cubs at Wrigley Field, got bad news shortly after their victory. They were eliminated from postseason contention when the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 10-6.

The victory gave the Dodgers a two-game lead over St. Louis with just one game to play. The Dodgers got further good news when the Colorado Rockies dropped a 12-2 decision to the Washington Nationals. That defeat left the Rockies and Dodgers tied for first place in the National League West.

The Rockies (90-71) and the Dodgers (90-71) are in the same position as the Brewers and the Cubs. If Colorado and Los Angeles both have similar results Sunday, the two teams will meet at Dodger Stadium on Monday to determine the NL West champion. The loser would still make the playoffs as a wild-card team. If the two teams do not mirror each other, the winner will gain the division title and the loser will play in the NL Wild Card Game. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts thinks his team is in an excellent position now that the Dodgers have clinched a playoff spot.

"I think we're the best team, and I've said it," Roberts said, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. "Mostly, we've got to go out there and play like it. I think we can be as dangerous as anyone, but it's up to us to play like it. One part of the equation is to get an invite. We have that. Now we have to take it from there."

If the Brewers win the NL Central, the Cubs would host the Rockies or Dodgers in the NL Wild Card Game. If the Cubs end up with the division title. the Brewers would host that matchup.

Every game on the on the final day of the season is scheduled to start between 3 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. ET. It will be a memorable day for the Cubs, Brewers, Rockies and Dodgers, as they will either decide their respective division titles or push the regular season into one or two extra games Monday.