Playoff Picture With 30 Games To Go

Still some interesting dogfights for playoff spots as we approach the roster expansion date:

American League

In the North, last year's champ Cincinnati holds a 4-game lead over pesky Augusta. The Polar Bears will have to try to overhaul the Waste Mangers - they're out of the wild card picture.

In the East, Cleveland has all but wrapped up its 10th straight division championship; D.C. and Pittsburgh remain alive in the wild card.

The South is the best entertainment available in HBD, with nobody out of it. Nashville and Little Rock are currently in a dead heat, with 7-time defending champ Jackson 3 back and Richmond 4 back.

In the West, Salem is coasting to its 2nd crown in 3 years - hats off to cmthieme for the nice turnaround.

The Wild Card looks like it will go down to the last day and invoke multiple tiebreakers. 5 teams are battling for the 2 spots: D.C., Pittsburgh and all 3 South teams that don't win the division.

National League

A little more straightforward, with Syracuse, Burlington and Mexico City in firm control of the North, East and South. Las Vegas holds a 7-game lead over Oakland in th West; the 69ers' pitching has been lights-out all year, but it's too early to count out the defending WS Champ Surenos.

If they can't catch Vegas, Oakland leads the Wild Card by 2 games over the much-improved Ottawa squad, with Sioux Falls and Austin 5 back. Not quite the free-for-all featured in the AL, but a good quality race.