Astros Minor League Playoff Picture Update

With seven days left in the minor league regular season, let's take a brief look at the Astro affiliates playoff picture. I will try to update this daily until all of the playoffs have been decided.

OKLAHOMA CITY

T1st    72-66    .522    -.-GB    W3

Playoff Picture - 6 games left; elimination number is N/A

The RedHawks did exactly what I said that they needed to do ... they kept winning. The result is that they are now in a tie with Omaha for first place in the division. Their lead over third place Iowa remains at three games. Iowa's elimination number is now 4. On paper, Omaha has the easiest remaining schedule of the three teams since they will be playing their final five games at home against Colorado Springs (53-84) while Iowa and OKC will face off for their final four. The RedHawks really need to win their next two games against the 59-77 Albuquerque team and hope that Omaha and Iowa aren't as successful against the over-500 teams they are currently playing. This one could very well come down to the wire.

CORPUS CHRISTI

For the second half:
4th     29-34     .460     7.0GB     W2

Playoff picture - 7 games left; elimination number is 1

As a friend of the blog pointed out, the Hooks have already been eliminated technically because of the way the remaining schedule plays out between the first and second place teams. But then, I don't think anyone really believed that they had much of a chance as things currently stand so there's that.

LANCASTER - Clinched

For the season:
1st    76-57    .571    -.-GB    W1

For the second half:
T1st     32-31     .508     -.-GB     W1

Playoff Picture - 7 games left; elimination number is N/A

The 'Hawks clinched their playoff berth by winning the first half. All that remains at this point is to see whether or not they can win the second half as well. They are currently tied with Lake Elsinore for first place in the second half standings. Inland Empire trails by one game, Rancho Cucamonga by two games and High Desert by three games. The second half title is still very much up in the air. Lancaster plays four more games against Inland Empire and three against High Desert.

QUAD CITIES - Eliminated

TRI-CITY - Clinched

1st     43-25     .632     -.-GB     L1

Playoff Picture - 7 games left; elimination number is N/A

Although technically, the magic number for elimination of second place Connecticut remains at 1, the ValleyCats have clinched at least a tie and the tie-breaker would be decided in their favor because of their record against division teams. From the Tri-City website:

Despite falling to the Vermont Lake Monsters 5-2 on Monday, the 'Cats postseason berth was finalized due to the Connecticut Tigers' 7-3 defeat at the hands of the Lowell Spinners. Because the Tigers lost, Tri-City's division lead remained at seven games, with seven games remaining. As a result, there is now no longer a possibility that the Tigers could win the division, due to the fact that the ValleyCats also hold the best record against teams Stedler Division opponents (the tie-breaking scenario if two teams are tied for first place once the regular season ends).

GREENEVILLE

4th     31-31     .500     4.0GB     W1

Playoff picture - 4 games left; elimination number is 2

Greeneville is hanging in there, trailing the second place team (Johnson City) by two games and the third place team (Kingsport) by one game. As a reminder, both the first and second place teams advance to the playoffs. Greeneville needs to win tonight and they have to hope for Kingsport to prevail over Johnson City as well in order to creep a little closer to a possible playoff spot. First place Elizabethton faces third place Kingsport for the final three games of the season starting tomorrow and Greeneville faces second place Johnson City for three. It could get very interesting.

GCL ASTROS - Eliminated

DSL ASTROS ORANGE - Eliminated

DSL ASTROS BLUE - Eliminated