It’s finally here - the last week of the 2020-21 MLB season. Most of the playoff spots have already been secured and many teams are either preparing for the postseason or thinking about their summer vacations.
But some playoff spots are still up for grabs and you can bet your bottom dollar that the teams still in contention will be giving it their all to reach that goal.
Two of those teams are the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners: both teams are still playoff contenders and enter the last week with must-win home games. Get your MLB betting insight here and then find a bookmaker here to get the most out of the final games!
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Cincinnati Reds vs Pittsburgh Pirates
Date: Monday, September 27, 2021
Time: 7:10 PM (ET)
Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
The Monday night Cincinnati Reds games against the Pittsburg Pirates is a rescheduled game that should have been played on September 22 as the third game in a series between these two teams.
The Reds won the first game of that series 9-5, while the Pirates came back with a 6-2 victory in game 2.
These are two teams that enter this final week of the season with totally different mindsets.
Cincinnati still harbor hopes to reach the postseason, though they will need a miracle to achieve that. All they can do is win their remaining games - and hope.
The Pirates, on the other hand, have little to play for. They are last in NL Central with a miserable 37.5% win percentage.
The Reds are third in the same division, behind the Milwaukee Brewers who are already in the postseason, and 5.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.
They currently stand fourth in the NL Wild Card standings behind the Dodgers, Cardinals, and Phillies. That means that a win against Pittsburgh on Monday is an absolute must for David Bell’s team.
The Reds have won seven of the last ten games against the Pirates and will have Wade Miley as their starting pitcher. Miley has had a decent season so far, with a 12-7 record and 3.37 ERA.
The 34-year-old veteran has a winning record in his 11 years in the league and the Reds will need a big night from him here.
Seattle Mariners vs Oakland Athletics
Date: Monday, September 27, 2021
Time: 10:10 PM (ET)
Location: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, Washington
The AL West rivals are entering the last week of the regular season with the same goal - trying try to reach the Wild Card game.
This Monday night game will be the first of the three-game series in Seattle. Both teams played four games in Oakland last week, with the visitors dominating the series and winning all four.
That sweep came despite the A’s having taken a 3-0 lead in the last game of the series, with Seattle powering back to clinch it 6-4 and proving themselves to be the better of these two teams.
Those wins took it to second place in the AL West, two games ahead of the Athletics. Seattle now stands fourth in the AL Wild Card standings, only two games behind the second-placed New York Yankees. The Toronto Blue Jays are third with one more win compared to the Athletics.
Oakland has 11 blown saves in their past 30 games, resulting in eight losses. They’ve also dropped 12 of their 16 meetings with the Mariners this year including the last nine.
Chris Bassitt recently returned after a surgery to repair facial fractures, but despite his high-level pitching the A’s have fallen out of the playoff race.
The same cannot be said for Seattle, who remain in contention. Expect the Mariners to win this Monday night showdown.
Cleveland Indians vs Kansas City Royals
Date: Monday, September 27, 2021
Time: 7:10 PM ET
Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
The Monday night Cleveland vs Kansas City showdown is a rescheduled game from September 22. The Royals won two of the other three games in that series.
The Indians are second in the AL Central while the Royals are fourth, but neither of these two teams has any chance of making it to the playoffs this postseason.
Carlos Hernandez, who was one of the best players on Mike Matheny’s roster this year, will start for the Royals.
The Venezuelan has a 6-2 record this season with a 3.90 ERA and recently has been on top of his game with a 3-1 record.
On the other side, the Indians will have Logan Allen at the mound. Allen has a 1-7 record with a 6.80 ERA, and has lost the last three games that he started.
It is clear that the Royals have a huge advantage when it comes to the pitching game, and that will probably be a key factor in this matchup.
Both teams have split the last ten games of their schedules.
In the last ten games of these opponents, the Indians won eight but the Royals have won two of the last three.
