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The streak is over
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The Wild Things are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
That was assured with an 11-4 win over the Gateway Grizzlies at GCS Ballpark. Third baseman Carter Bell had a first-inning grand slam and Washington never trailed.
The question now is where the Wild Things will finish in the standings?
Entering Sunday, the Wild Things are in third place in the East, 1 1/2 games behind co-leaders Evansville and Southern Illinois. The Otters, who clinched their first playoff berth since winning the league championship under manager Greg Jelks in 2006, have six games remaining including a doubleheader today against Florence. The Otters end the season with four games at Washington beginning Tuesday. Southern Illinois has four games left: today at home against Normal and three at Lake Erie, which currently holds the final wild-card spot. Lake Erie cannot finish high enough in the standings to host a wild-card game.
If Washington finishes in the No. 5 or No. 6 spot, it will play a wild-card playoff game Saturday somewhere in the Central time zone. If Washington finishes in a tie with Southern Illinois, the Wild Things win the tiebreaker based on winning the season series, 4-2. In all likelihood, the second-place team in the West will host one of the wild-card games.