NBA 101

MLB playoff picture: What does Tigers-Red Sox mean for AL playoffs?

The 2025 Major League Baseball season enters its final weekend today.

And with three teams battling for two spots in the American League, two teams fighting for the final spot in the National League, and a host of division titles and seedings left to determine, the final weekend of play could be one for the ages.

Arguably the biggest game of the day gets underway at 4:10 p.m. at historic Fenway Park, where the Boston Red Sox host the Detroit Tigers. Boston clinched a playoff spot in dramatic fashion on Friday night, when Ceddanne Rafaela laced a triple off the wall in center field to bring the winning run home and send Boston to the postseason in walk-off fashion.

But the Red Sox are still uncertain of their seeding.

As for the Tigers, despite looking like a lock for the playoffs earlier this season, with two games left, they are still fighting for their postseason lives.

Let’s dive into the playoff implications of Tigers-Red Sox.

Boston’s playoff picture

Last night’s dramatic win put the Red Sox into the postseason, and they are going to be one of the bottom two Wild Card teams.  If the playoffs began today, the 88-72 Sox would be the No. 5 seed in the AL and would face their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees.

But with the AL East undecided, Boston could end up facing the Toronto Blue Jays, if the Yankees end up winning the East and the Blue Jays settle for the top Wild Card slot.

There is also a scenario where the Red Sox slide down to the final Wild Card spot. If the Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians each win their final two games, that would mean Boston, Detroit, and Cleveland all finish with matching 88-74 records.

The Guardians have already clinched the tiebreaker over Detroit, so in this scenario, Cleveland would be the AL Central champion. Detroit, with two wins over Boston this weekend, would clinch a tiebreaker over the Red Sox, so they would slot in as the #5 seed, dropping Boston to #6.

To avoid that scenario, the Red Sox need to keep winning.

Tigers’ playoff picture

On September 11, Detroit’s odds of winning the AL Central stood at 99.8%.

As the final weekend of the 2025 MLB season begins, those odds are down to just 30.7%.

Detroit can still avoid a collapse for the ages, but they do not control their own destiny in the AL Central. As noted above, the Guardians have already clinched a tiebreaker over the Tigers. With Detroit and Cleveland currently tied with matching 86-74 records, the Tigers need to get some wins and get some help in the form of losses by Cleveland.

Where the Tigers still control their own destiny, however, is in the Wild Card chase. Detroit has a one-game lead over the Houston Astros for a Wild Card spot, and the Tigers have clinched the tiebreaker over Houston already. That means a win today against Boston, or an Astros’ loss to the Los Angeles Angels later tonight, and the Tigers are at least in the playoffs.

Celtics, Wendell Moore Jr Sign Camp Deal

The Boston Celtics signed Wendell Moore Jr to an Exhibit 10 contract. Moore is likely to land with the Maine Celtics of the G League following the preseason.

Moore split last season between the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets. In 36 NBA games, the 6-foot-5 wing averaged 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

MLB playoff picture: What does Mets-Marlins mean for NL playoffs?

The 2025 Major League Baseball season begins its final weekend of play today.

And with three teams battling for two spots in the American League, two teams fighting for the final spot in the National League, and a host of division titles and seedings left to determine, the final weekend of play could be one for the ages.

One of the biggest games of the slate takes place in Miami, where the Miami Marlins host the New York Mets. The Marlins will be watching the playoffs at home with the rest of us, but the Mets — with their big payroll — are one of two teams fighting for the final Wild Card spot.

Let’s dive into the playoff implications for this game.

Miami’s playoff picture

The Marlins have a 78-82 record and have been eliminated from postseason contention. But they can certainly play the role of spoiler this weekend against the Mets.

Mets’ playoff picture

New York enters the final weekend of play with an 82-78 record, which has them in the fight for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. However, that is the same record as the Cincinnati Reds, the team they are fighting with.

Complicating matters for the Mets is the fact that Cincinnati has already clinched the season series between the two teams and the pivotal tiebreaker. If the Mets and the Reds finish the season with identical records, the Reds are in, and the Mets are out.

Here is what the Mets need this weekend to clinch a playoff spot. They can get in with a pair of losses by Cincinnati and at least one win over Miami. Or, with two wins this weekend, and at least one loss by the Reds, the Mets are in the playoffs.

New York can also be eliminated today if they lose to the Marlins, and the Reds defeat the Milwaukee Brewers. The Mets are also knocked out of playoff contention if the Reds beat Milwaukee in both games this weekend, or the Mets lose both of their games on Saturday and Sunday.

Thunder Sign Zack Austin, Jazian Gortman, Chris Youngblood To Camp Deals

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed Zack Austin, Jazian Gortman and Chris Youngblood to Exhibit 10 contract. All three players are expected to play for the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League this season.

Austin went undrafted out of Pittsburgh at the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-5 wing averaged 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game a senior for the Panthers.

Gortman spent part of last season on a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. In 34 games with the Texas Legends of the G League, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 20 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Youngblood went undrafted out of Alabama at the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 10.3 points on 45/39/80 shooting splits as a senior for the Crimson Tide.

Jared McCain Tears UCL In Right Thumb

Jared McCain has suffered a UCL tear in his right thumb during a workout on Tuesday. McCain is working with specialists to decide how they will proceed with the injury.

McCain’s promising rookie season last year was cut short due to a meniscus tear.

McCain averaged 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25.7 minutes over 23 games last season with the Philadelphia 76ers. McCain was the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft by the Sixers.

If McCain were to have an extended absence, the value of Quentin Grimes would increase for the Sixers. Grimes remains in a restricted free agency stalemate with the Sixers.