RACE FOR THE PLAYOFFS: Cubs fall; SF, Astros, Angels win
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Six losses in seven games have the Cubs on the brink of playoff elimination and the Padres were officially ousted, while the Astros, Giants, Dodgers, Angels and Athletics jockeyed for playoff position Friday.
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HOUSTONâAfter falling behind 0-2 in the NL Championship Series, the best-case scenario for the Houston Astros played itself out this weekend.
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Each passing day brings a more agonizing loss for the Cubs, whose once bright postseason prospects have grown increasingly dim with each defeat.
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No World Series appearance again for the Cubs. This time, not even a spot in the postseason, thanks to a monumental final-week collapse.
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It doesn&#39;t get any better than this. The Red Sox visit Yankee Stadium, the Giants and Padres battle it out for the NL wildcard, while the Cubs try and keep pace and are leaning on a kid to do so.
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Chicago's Derrek Lee hits a three-run, eighth-inning double that does in the Marlins, his former team. The Cubs' 5-2 win on Saturday keeps them atop the wild card standings.
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CHICAGO - Javier Valentin doubled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the 12th inning and the Cincinnati Reds played spoiler again, sending the Chicago Cubs to a crushing 2-1 defeat Thursday.    Chicago lost for the fifth time in six games, including back-to-back 12-inning heartbreakers to the Reds, and fell one game behind idle Houston for the NL wild card with three games left...
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Pitcher Mike Hampton homered off Kerry Wood and the Atlanta Braves sent the collapsing Chicago Cubs to the verge of wild-card elimination.
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MIAMI - Mark Prior allowed five hits in 7 2-3 innings to out-pitch Carl Pavano, and the Chicago Cubs moved one percentage point ahead of San Francisco atop the NL wild-card standings by beating the Florida Marlins 5-1 in the first game of a doubleheader
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ST. LOUIS -- This was the kind of deflating loss that would send some teams -- the Cubs come to mind -- into the fetal position. Twelve grueling innings, a booming walkoff two-run homer and 52,144 people screaming loud enough to make your ears ring.
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The Chicago Cubs were one strike from a key victory, but wound up with another agonizing defeat that damaged their drive to the playoffs.
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A season that started with such high hopes sees the Cubs eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday by their eighth loss in nine games, 8-6 to the Braves.
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Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run homer, Moises Alou also homered and the Chicago Cubs beat the Houston Astros 11-6 on Sunday in the testy conclusion of a three-game series between the NL Central rivals.
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While other races around the majors seem to tighten every day, the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels have opened up some breathing room as they close in on playoff berths.
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Houston Astros players celebrate their NL wild-card-clinching win over the Colorado Rockies. The Astros finalized the playoff pairing by beating the Colorado Rockies 5-3 Sunday in Houston to edge the San Francisco Giants for a playoff berth.
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Bronson Arroyo wasn't thinking about any of it. It didn't matter that the Cincinnati Reds' playoff hopes are just about gone, that the flow of runs had been reduced to a trickle. His curve was at its best, David Ross hit a three-run homer and the slumping Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 4-0 Friday despite managing just four hits.
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NL wild card spot. San Francisco must win today and hope the Astros lose at. home to the Rockies to force a one-game playoff tomorrow afternoon at SBC Park.