With a win over the Pros, the Bison punch our fifth consecutive trip to the playoffs. We're not able to lock up the top seed, so now we look to get the 2 seed an a first round home advantage, and control our own destiny on that front if we can win out. The first stop on that is in Los Angeles against a scrappy Condors team that is fighting for the final playoff spot. We head on the road in the navy uniforms, and are featuring Tyler Mahle, who despite being signed off the street just a week ago, pitched a gem against the Pros going 6 innings, striking out 7, and only allowing one earned run to notch the win and quality start. #WeAreOK

Well if that was a postseason preview, then fans have a lot to look forward to. Las Vegas and Boston duked it out all week, and it went back and forth until the very last inning, when Michael Harris II hit a walkoff homer to win it for the Atoms. That helps us stay a game ahead of the Saints for the top spot in the NL, and we'll need that breathing room as we hit the road for our final two games of the season. The first of those comes in Oklahoma City, where the Bison have climbed up to the second seed in the AL. This will be a huge game for both teams, and it might also be a World Series preview if history is any indication. While Harris is obviously a leading candidate for player of the game, we'd be remiss if we went the whole regular season without spotlighting 3B Eugenio Suárez. Geno's numbers might not pop off the page, going just 5-21 with a double being his lone extra base hit, but he managed to get on base an additional 8 times, with 7 walks and a hit by pitch. #UpAndAtom

Following week 21, we have just two weeks until the playoffs, and things have become more clear.

First, both Detroit and Montreal punched their tickets to the playoffs with their wins over Tampa Bay and Oakland respectively.

On the flip side, the only team that could be eliminated last week was Seattle, and with their loss to New York have also been eliminated.

This leaves ten teams fighting for eight spots, and 5 already claimed. 

We'll start in the A.L. where there's one spot remaining, and Milwaukee and Los Angeles are battling for that spot. With a two game difference, Los Angeles needs to win out and have Milwaukee lose out. Importantly, they play one another this week in Los Angeles.

As far as seeding goes, Arizona has clinched the top spot. Oklahoma City will finish as the second or third seed. Detroit will fall between the second and fourth seed, with a win over the Masons in Boston or a Muskies loss to the Condors ensuring they finish in second or third.

In the N.L., the top two seeds will be Las Vegas or Montreal. Las Vegas has the tiebreaker on Montreal and a one game advantage, so the Atoms can clinch the top seed with a win over the Bison in Oklahoma City or a Saints loss at home to the Cubans.

San Diego is in a good spot, with two games on Boston and the tiebreaker. However, with New York also in there, the Pandas still could be in a three way tie and miss the playoffs. They can guarantee their playoff spot with a win this week in Oakland against the Squirrels or a loss by either NEw York at home against the Thunderbirds or by Boston at home against Detroit.

New York and Boston will meet up in Week 23, so this week New York can lock up a playoff spot only with a win AND a Boston loss. As previously mentions, the Blackbirds will at home against the Thunderbirds and the Masons are at home against the Deacons.

Okay, with 1 week left in the regular season, there are 6 teams that have punched their tickets to the playoffs with San Diego clinching their spot this week. That locks San Diego into the 3 seed in the NL due to New York's loss.

There are two seeding situations still in play. In the NL, Las Vegas and Montreal are tied heading into the final week for the top seed. Las Vegas holds the head to head tiebreaker, so Montreal would need a win against Toronto on the road and a Las Vegas loss on the road against Dallas to claim the top seed, with the loser ending in the second seed to host San Diego.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City and Detroit will be the second and third seeds in the AL behind Arizona, so they will face each other next week, with only the location of the game on the line. Detroit is a game back, but holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, so Detroit needs a win at home against Chicago and a Bison loss in Oklahoma City against Seattle to host that game next week.

Then there are the two situations where one team is in, and the other is not. We'll start with the cut and dry situation, as in the National League we have Boston holding a one game advantage against Boston and the head-to-head tiebreaker. But that tiebreaker really doesn't mean anything as they play their second game this week in what is really a playoff game. New York wins and they get in with a two game advantage. But because Boston has the points advantage currently, if the Masons win, the two teams will be tied in record and split the season series, so Boston's points advantage would put them through and off to either Las Vegas or Montreal.

In the American League, it's down to Milwaukee and Los Angeles. The Muskies have the one game advantage, but the Condors have the head-to-head win. So Los Angeles needs a win over the Thunderbirds in Phoenix and a Milwaukee loss to the Gemini in the Twin Cities to make it in, with the winner having to face the Thunderbirds on the road.

The Atoms led for much of our game against the Bison, but as they so often seem to do, OKC pulled out the late win. That means we still need to lock in in order to claim the NL's top seed. Standing in our way will be the Dallas Sidewinders, who have been on a bit of a skid as of late but did pick up a win last week against Seattle. Our final feature of the regular season goes to SP Parker Messick, making his second appearance of the year. The rookie southpaw threw 12 innings against OKC, striking out 9 while only allowing 2 earned runs, and picked up two wins and two quality starts. #UpAndAtom