Lots of day baseball today outside of the National League West ... lots of despair in Chicago even though the Cubs remain within a half-game of a playoff spot ... lots of rallying cries coming out of Athletics Nation.

Wins by the Giants and Cubs today would create a three-way tie for the NL Wild Card with Houston with three games to play. (And don't count out the Padres just yet - if they survive today, they get their final three games against Arizona.)

Two victories in their final four games clinch at least a tie for the American League West title for the Angels. The A's need to win at least three of their final four.

And the Dodgers' magic number is two for winning the NL West and giving Eric Gagne, among others, all the rest he needs for the playoffs.

Even though history doesn't always repeat itself, if you're wondering why the Dodgers would like to clinch before San Francisco comes to town, here's why:

9/25/96: Dodgers lead NL West by 2 1/2 games
9/26/96: Giants 6, Dodgers 1 - Dodgers lead by 2 games
9/27/96: Padres 5, Dodgers 2 (10) - Dodgers lead by 1 game
9/28/96: Padres 4, Dodgers 2 - Dodgers and Padres tied
9/29/96: Padres 2, Dodgers 0 (11) - Padres win NL West by 1 game

Yes, Los Angeles still won the wild card - a cushion that allowed the Dodgers to lose all those games. But there would be no such cushion this year. And the Dodgers continued by being swept in the playoffs and ending the year on a seven-game losing streak.

Colorado at Los Angeles, 7:10 p.m.

San Francisco at San Diego, 7:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at Chicago, 11:20 a.m.

Anaheim at Texas, 11:05 a.m.

Seattle at Oakland, 12:35 p.m.